


Radiance

by pink_chrysanthemums



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, F/M, Mystery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-25
Updated: 2014-12-09
Packaged: 2018-02-22 12:44:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 52,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2508326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pink_chrysanthemums/pseuds/pink_chrysanthemums
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU - On orders Korra disguises herself as an Equalist, but soon, her charade brings the attention of none other than Amon himself and she attempts escape. However, their destinies become entwined as they find themselves caught between the realm of the human and spirit world. Along the ensuing journey, together they must recognise how balance can truly be restored - Eventual Amorra</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

-:-

The last vestiges of the sun's rays disappeared behind the mountainside as the chilly, frosty air intensified. Surrounded by the isolated tundra, was the Southern Water Tribe compound, also the place where Korra had experienced most of her childhood. The fading sunlight reflected against the compound's thick walls of ice as preparations were being made for the evening's dinner in the shelter. The Order of White Lotus guards stood at the watchtowers, surveying the landscape and surrounding areas, as was their duty in protection of the avatar.

"Just for one month, no longer than that," explained Tenzin for what seemed like the tenth time since his arrival at the South Pole two days ago. The girl had continuously expressed her disapproval on the whole matter, although the reason itself was understandable enough.

"Tenzin, I know how important this task is, but do I really have to start it as soon as we arrive in Republic City?" Korra sighed as she removed Naga's saddle. Almost her whole life had revolved around the compound, and apart from the occasional trips to the North Pole, she had not travelled to any other place outside the South Pole. Korra hugged her polar bear dog where she nestled into the pen, and then began to walk towards the shelter with Tenzin.

"Only a month and I assure you can experience and enjoy all the city has to offer. And practice your airbending," said Tenzin. He truly did understand the excitement she felt when told she would be allowed to temporarily reside in Republic City, though it quickly diminished when the plan was described. However, it was deemed necessary considering the present state of the city, which he let her know.

They entered the shelter and ate dinner with Pema and the airbender children, with Korra relishing the food in her usual gusto as the children joked and laughed with her. Despite how she felt about the whole ordeal, nothing took away her appetite when it came to enjoying food, especially her favourite cuisines. After helping clear away the dishes, Korra bid everyone goodnight and retired to her room. Yue's light filtered into the room as Korra's mind was on the matter, the task, the plan, whatever else it was called. Turning over in her bed, she thought if taking part in it was worth it, it meant she eventually would have an extended leave in the city, to do as she wished. And there was so much she wanted to do! Explore the area as was part of her nature, visit different sites, and meet new people. But most of all attend the pro-bending competitions. She had only ever read about the sport in books, and it interested her very much from a young age.

Korra placed her hands behind her head and stared out towards the ceiling. Disguise herself as an Equalist. All in the name of preventing conflict, namely a revolution. What was everyone thinking? But in the current light of the events taking place in the city, it was decided she would have to partake in the task. Already attempts had being made by other recruits thought best fit for the task, but they backfired due to either being deceived or having their identity revealed. And thus, the mission lay in the avatar's hands for the time being until new personnel's could get in touch. The plan seemed straightforward: take part in a rally being held in two days' time, join the new recruits, train and practice with the other members, but mostly keep to self and try not to attempt or encourage conversation, all the while reporting information to Tenzin and Chief Lin Beifong. _Just for a month_ , Korra reminded herself.

According to Tenzin (and all the other important people involved), even just a month's worth of information would allow time and the necessary strategies to counter a revolution. The city's fate rested on the select few people, including avatar Korra, and if she wanted to restore the state of the city to its former glory days, taking part in this act would contribute quite a lot towards the future. But it did mean no airbending, and considering the absence she felt of her spiritual side, it would take more time to learn. _Soon enough, after all this is over._ Closing her eyes as the thoughts continued to wander through her mind, Korra fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Her departure from the South Pole at morning the next day was filled with farewells to her mentors and family members and even the guards. It was especially not easy for Korra to say goodbye to her best friend. "I'll miss you so much Naga, and don't worry, I will be back soon," said Korra, close to tears. Her parents were in tears themselves, as the three shared a tight embrace. She gave her last hug and farewell to master Katara, also a very close companion of hers "Stay safe, I place my faith in you," said master Katara warmly. Soon, she was seated on Oogi alongside Pema, the children and Tenzin as the sky bison took off.

Korra reclined back against the saddle, her mind still somewhat groggy from waking up so early in the morning, but it was long a trip ahead. It was the personal decision of Tenzin himself to accompany the avatar from her home place. He explained it was considered risky at the moment to go by other modes of transport, where she would most likely be asked questions upon her arrival. Korra's identity was to remain hidden during the course of her stay in the Equalist's headquarters, and was to be given an alias. She had being debriefed of the current events in Republic city during the past couple of days, as extensive research had being administered by Chief Beifong for several months. Many claims and investigations were made in regards to who the Equalists were and their objectives. In a nutshell, there were plans being made for an uprising against the benders by non-bender Equalists, for a possible war.

The signs were becoming more evident, with violent outbursts occurring throughout the city every other day. All this confidential work was clarified to Korra, who also had to read up on various booklets and pamphlets handed to her, much to her distaste. While flicking through a booklet, she came across a poster of a hooded man wearing a strange mask adorned with a bright red circle on the forehead, and an upturned smile and holes for eyes cut out. Korra could not look at it for long, and turned the page. She knew who it was, but something unnerved her about the picture, and it was not characteristic for Korra to feel fear towards something. It was one of the traits admired by her mentors, her ability to show fearlessness in the face of danger, hence all the more reasons to partake in this mission.

Several hours later and they had finally arrived to Republic City. Korra had fallen asleep, though was promptly awoken by the children's cheers and laughter. Korra stared out towards the city as the bison prepared to land on Air Temple Island. _This place looks amazing_. She stared in awe at the tall, brightly lit, sky-high buildings, fast moving vehicles and the general hustle and bustle of the city from where she was. As the bison landed on the island, she was promptly taken to a lodging near-by. No one knew of her arrival apart from a few guards on the island, who were to keep watch over her for the night. Not even the air acolytes were informed, who resided in a building on the other side of the island. The less people knew, the safer it was. After Korra finished her dinner and was getting ready for bed, she was greeted by Chief Beifong.

"I do apologise for all this, but I know you understand by now the position we're in. Until we can get in touch with other recruits, you are the only person in the best position to not be recognised. Or deceive us, as happened during recent events, unfortunately," said Chief Beifong as she stood across from Korra.

"I've come to terms with it, but yeah I will try my best," nodded Korra. She wanted to prove herself as a capable individual to the older woman.

"I'm sure you know by now what you're up against, but I do want you to know, if you feel anything has gone amiss, or make a slip up around someone, immediately leave the place following the instructions stated in the book," stated Chief Beifong. Although truth-be-told, Korra had yet to come face to face with what she was actually dealing with, and she would have to find that out for herself tomorrow evening.

"Sure will, Chief, you have my word," said Korra as she packed a small bag of essential items.

"Just Lin would do. Now, I must leave, my long absence will be noticed. But good luck Korra, and remember if anything goes amiss, or you find yourself in danger of revealing your identity, do not hesitate to leave. You don't deserve to be put in such a position, but it's become a necessity for now" said Lin. And with those parting words, she left. Korra briefly thought if she could ask Lin to give her some metal bending lessons after her mission was complete, it seemed very cool.

Korra went to bed, and mentally prepared herself for the intensive day tomorrow. A rally was to be held in the evening, and she was to attend It. The next step was to be recruited as an Equalist in training. _Busy day,_ thought Korra as she drifted off into a dreamless sleep, but little did she know it would be the last time she would experience a night without dreams.

-:-


	2. Introductions

**-:-**

_At a moderate distant away from the island, the ocean's currents whirled against each other as Yue's bright light swept across the vast body of ocean. The state of the ocean was almost tumultuous, rather like the city itself. But the night marked a different phase in the course of certain individual's lives. The inevitable sequence of events were about to follow, and these events would ultimately lead to the shared destinies. The individual's ultimate choices and decisions would affect the new course of history. It was no longer just the fate of the city whose path would be altered, but the whole world itself. The ocean tides continued to lap against another, and to mark the beginning of a new era, glowed a multitude of vivacious colours, reflecting against the moon's light and melding together as one._

-:-

The sun's bright rays filtered into Korra's room as she was awoken from her slumber. Getting out of bed, she peered out the window and gazed towards the city, which was already thrumming with the sounds of many satomobiles as they went off to work. After having washed and cleansed herself, she waited for Pema to bring in her breakfast. Setting herself down at a desk, Korra skimmed through the articles once more to pass time.

Already she missed Naga, as her usual mornings would include a morning's greeting to her polar bear dog, and then a ride out in the frozen tundra, often sneaking a distant away from the compound. Her tummy rumbled, wishing Pema would arrive soon. It seemed the rest of the occupants of Air Temple Island had awoken much earlier than the rest of the city, most likely to sit in meditation or tend to the gardens. _Any longer now, Pema,_ thought had never being Korra's virtue, and the lack of trait had caused many downfalls throughout her life. She heard a knock at the door. _Finally!_ She went to open the door, but the delicious scent of food reached her first before she noticed Pema.

"Morning, Korra. I'm sorry I took so long, Meelo decided to join the acolytes during their fruit picking in the name of 'helping', gosh I still don't understand where that boy gets all his energy from," sighed Pema as she placed the breakfast tray on the desk, a faint smile gracing her features as she patted her pregnant belly.

"Hey Pema, it's okay, I didn't get up until just a while ago," said Korra, sitting herself at the desk. Breakfast included vegetable dumplings, noodles and a fruit pie along with a cup of jasmine tea. "Seriously, this tastes really good," Korra said through a mouthful of noodles.

Taking a sip of her own tea, Pema sat on the bed opposite to Korra. They sat in relative silence, as Korra finished breakfast and sipped her tea. Korra knew this day would be the last time she was in the company of everyone she knew. The thought slightly dampened her spirits, but she knew they would not be parted for too long. Korra and Pema sat and idly chatted for a while, with Pema reassuring the younger woman that it would all be over shortly.

Pema soon left, leaving Korra to her devices. With not much to do except wait until someone else came to visit her, she reclined on the bed and flicked through the city's map book. Tenzin had shown her the evening rally's location before, though she retraced the steps with her finger, guiding it along the numerous streets and roads. The 'map' Tenzin had presented to her back at the South Pole was in fact composed of a number of different posters, with the location pinpointed in red.

According to Tenzin, he had retrieved the posters with some difficulty as his identity was known to all, not just as a councilman but also as a resident of Air Temple Island. According to him, as a bender he was in fact not allowed to preview or take hold of any posters and flyers being issued around the city, particularly in the city's park, a popular location for handing out the propaganda.

The task was dangerous. There was no doubt about that fact. Although everything had being planned down to the last bit of detail, all necessary precautions were in place if anything were to happen. Just as the city was in a constant state of unpredictable events, so were its inhabitants, especially those as part of a growing radical organisation. But in regards to the current circumstances, Korra was the only person reliable enough for the next couple of weeks. Had the situation being different, a spy may not have even being required at all.

But alas, such was the outcome of the organisation, which knew who the next targets were around the city. Korra got up and closed one side of the window as the chilly wind began to pick up and the island's trees swayed with the motion of the breeze. Although well accustomed to cold weather, the day's weather seemed colder than usual.

Nothing held of interest for Korra in the bare room. It was only a couple of more hours before she would leave, carrying the few possessions she had. Lin and Tenzin would be visiting her soon before her departure. She felt the boredom kicking in, and wished she were outside instead, practicing her bending, feeling the cool air against her skin. Knowing she would be confined in a place where she wouldn't be able to bend at all, Korra had practiced vigorously in the past couple of days back home in the Southern Water Tribe. Getting up from the bed, she leaned against the window, and held onto the wooden ledge as she looked out across the ocean and Republic City's bridge.

Her fingers pushed back her hair from her eyes as the wind continued to get stronger. _Okay, it's a bit too windy today_ , she thought. The sky was filling up with large, grey clouds, blocking out the sun and its rays. A storm was brewing, with the ocean's currents splashing against the other. Korra promptly closed the window, and sat back on her bed, waiting for someone to arrive. She disliked waiting for extended period of times, and without much else to do, she got up and raised her arms, throwing punches in the air, _at least this would help me, I can still fight like this even I won't bend,_ thought Korra as she practiced various forms of combat.

After a while, Korra heard a knock at her door. She dashed towards the door and quickly opened it. "Finally, I've being waiting for you guys for ages, really, you shouldn't take so long you know," Korra exclaimed.

"Quiet you. Don't make such a commotion right now, we have visitors over on the island, also ask who it is next time before opening the door," said Lin in her stern voice as she closed the door behind herself and Tenzin. Korra wondered if that was how she spoke to everyone, though being a police officer and all, she most probably did.

"Lin and I are here to discuss your arrangements for the next couple of days before you're going to begin living in the Equalists barracks," said Tenzin, shuffling through a couple of sheets in his hands.

"You'll need an alias, which I've decided would be Nanuq. It's a common water tribe name, and won't make you stand out," said Lin, as Tenzin handed out a piece of paper to Korra. She glanced across the heading, which displayed out her alias name, birth, occupation and other false details.

"You will need to keep this paperwork with you for your duration," said Lin as she readjusted the metal brooch on her chest.

"What for?" asked Korra.

"Although they most likely won't complete a background check, but just in case they do, or anyone else for that matter, you would have to show them these," explained Lin. "Also, you will be staying in the Dragon Flats borough for the next couple of days before your transfer. Staying at this island is too suspicious and obvious," Lin added.

"It will be at someone's place, a local shop in the borough. We considered it the best place for its inconspicuous look, as it won't attract many people to it," said Tenzin, who handed her the rest of the sheets.

"The women's name is Anju. She's a personal confidant of mine, and agreed to help us in this task," explained Lin, folding her arms across her chest.

After a lengthy conversation involving more critical details of the mission, Lin and Tenzin turned around to leave the room. "And Korra, Pema will be here shortly to give you lunch before you leave, and a couple of other things," Said Tenzin. They gave their luck and farewells to her before leaving the room.

Korra went through the details in her mind while waiting for lunch. Sitting on her bed, she smoothed the blue fabric of her shirt between her fingers. She would be an entirely different person, thought Korra. Her whole life had revolved around her identity as the avatar, and disclosing that from the world didn't sit well with her. She would much rather fix the state of the city as who she truly was.

There was a knock at the door. Getting up, Korra went up to the door and, taking Lin's advice, asked who it was. "It's me, Pema," Korra heard.

Opening the door, Korra greeted Pema as she walked in to put her lunch on the desk, and place a small bag on the bed. "Eat first, and then we'll talk," said Pema as she took a seat on the bed. Without much further ado, Korra ate her food, and again complimented the older woman on her cooking skills.

When finished with her lunch, Pema withdrew the items inside the bag. She placed a long, grey coat on the bed, with a green scarf and grey hat. "You will wear this over your normal clothes today, and at other times while living in Dragon flats," said Pema.

The clothes were definitely not something Korra would wear, but at least she wouldn't be wearing them all the time.

"I know they're not much, but you will draw less attention in these," said Pema as if reading Korra's thoughts.

"Eh, it's okay," said Korra. She thought about how much she was going to miss everyone. "Honestly, I'm really going to miss you guys," Korra said aloud as she got up from the desk and held the scarf between her hands.

"So will I. We are all going to miss you, and worry for you too," replied Pema. "You should wear those now," said Pema as she pointed towards the clothes.

Korra promptly wore the coat as Pema got up. "Thanks for everything so far," said Korra as she embraced the older woman. They said their goodbyes and Pema left the room, closing the door behind her.

The sun was setting outside, with deep shades of burnt umber and indigo spread across the ocean and reflecting against the city's tall buildings. Hurrying up, Korra fastened the scarf around her neck and placed the bowl hat on her head. She actually felt kind of silly wearing the whole set, but knew it would at least provide for her cover. Wearing the small bag around her shoulder, Korra checked all areas were clear outside from the window, and headed out the door.

* * *

Korra stood at the rocky shore of Air Temple Island, ready to waterbend herself through the ocean. Remembering Tenzin's instructions, Korra looked around that the whole coast was clear, and no one was in sight at the other side. Holding her breath, and taking her stance, Korra silently dived into the iridescent water. Once beneath the ocean's surface, she bent a bubble of water around her, and surged forward, swimming through the deep water. Schools of fish swam past her, with a couple of octosquids too. Finally, after what felt like a long time, Korra finally reached the coastal shore of Republic City. It was dark; the final gleams of the sun having momentarily disappear over the horizon a while ago.

Korra bent the rest of the water back into the ocean, and brushed off her clothes, which had remained unscathed from the water during the swim. Pulling the scarf up to her nose, she climbed up the rocks, reaching the pathway at the side of the rode. There were very few satomobiles out on the road, as most of the population was inside the city during this time of the day. Knowing it was at least a half hours walk to reach the building where the rally would be held, Korra quickened her pace on the cobblestone path and retrieved the map out of her coat.

She crossed the road, and took the directions marked on the map. The cool breeze flowed across her face, and she clutched the map tighter in her hands. Sometime later, she found herself in the inner part of the city. Korra was distracted by the city's twinkling lights, the sound of the satomobiles engines and the smell wafting out of many restaurants. There were also a lot of people out on the streets, more than she was accustomed to. The city was a loud and bustling place, but Korra found all the more appeal to it. She was definitely going to visit these places after her mission was complete.

Taking a couple of more streets, Korra had reached a more industrial part of the city. Factories and warehouses lined the streets, blocking out the moon's light. At last, she reached the intersection between two roads. Checking again on her map, she strolled through the alley, only lit by a couple of light bulbs, giving off a slight glow of yellow across the walls. As Korra got closer, she noticed more people milling about the entrance of a door. She reached up and stood behind them, noticing the large man guarding the entrance.

"Where's your ticket?" the burly man asked Korra when it was her turn.

"Oh…You mean this?" Korra answered as she drew out the Equalist poster from her bag. She felt nervous, not knowing what awaited her inside.

"The Revelation welcomes you, sister, please enter," the man replied as he opened the door for her.

Once inside, Korra walked through the hallway to enter the hall. Her eyes became wide open. There were a sheer number of people inside, much more than she had originally anticipated. It seemed there were a lot of non-benders who supported the movement.

She parted through the crowd, and stopped in the middle, looking out towards the stage. Korra put the poster back into her bag as she waited in nervous anticipation. The task felt a lot more real now that she was actually doing it.

Finally, the rally's host announced the arrival of the movement's leader. Cheers erupted throughout the crowd as Korra felt her heart beat speed up. _Get a hold of yourself,_ thought Korra. There was movement at the front as the floor of the stage opened up. The crowd cheered louder as a platform was raised. Korra felt tense, the nervousness increasing tenfold as she stared at the figure on the stage.

He was tall, and attired in dark clothes with a hood. But his most distinctive feature was the mask, its permanent smirk daring the crowd to undermine his authority.

This was what she had come for. This was who she had prepared herself for. He was the leader of the whole rebellion, the crowd's so-called saviour, and the city's largest threat, _Amon_.

-:-


	3. First Impressions

-:-

Korra clutched the coat tighter around herself. The way he spoke, his words full of charisma, and how he entranced the audience, it all sculpted the image of a true saviour, a hero to the people. Amon was a mastermind in the art of public speaking, and that much Korra had deducted so far. But the subject of his speech was a whole other matter itself. Although his back story was tragic, Korra felt it did not justify his views on benders and the whole need for 'equality', after all, an incident committed by the few did not represent everyone. He spoke of the avatar and her failure in bringing balance to the world.

Korra gritted her teeth in anger as he said those words. _How dare he say that!_ She thought, fuming on the spot as the crowd booed in agreement. Korra raised the scarf up her chin; it seemed the crowd was also against the avatar. Against _her_. Korra's anger continued to rise, wishing she could reveal herself and prove how wrong he was.

Amon began to speak of his powers blessed by the spirits, and explained how he would demonstrate his powers to the crowd. It piqued Korra's interest as an older man was bought to the stage, along with a couple of other men at the back of the stage. The crowd booed as he was revealed as Lightning Bolt Zolt, the leader of the Triple Threat Triad and one of Republic City's most notorious criminals.

The man blasted fire towards Amon, but he swiftly dodged the flames as it became lightning. The Equalist leader continued to let Lightning Bolt Zolt fight, nimbly avoiding each attack.

It happened too fast.

With very little effort, Amon grabbed the Triad leader's wrist and turned him on the spot, while placing his thumb in the middle of the man's temple. The firebender's bolt of lightning became fire, the plume getting smaller until there was nothing left. He collapsed weakly to the ground, his head lolling to the side, asking what happened to him. There were gasps and murmurs throughout the crowd until the Equalist leader responded.

His bending had been removed, permanently.

In that moment, raw terror seeped into Korra, her mind unable to comprehend what had just happened. It was impossible, only the avatar possessed the ability to permanently remove one's bending. But the thought of never being able to bend again...She could not imagine a world in which she could not bend the elements by her will. And the thought of losing her own bending, the very essence of which defined who she was, horrified Korra.

The other bound men at the back of the stage also had their bending removed one after the other in the same manner. The crowd was cheering, rejoicing in what had just happened and wholeheartedly gave their support to the Equalist leader. But for Korra, her mission had become a lot more personal than before. She was about to battle an enemy not just for the city, but her entire identity.

* * *

After the conclusion of the revelation, Korra found herself waiting out at the opposite side of the rally building. The area was hidden from the intersecting roads and streets, providing a good place away from prying eyes. A couple of desks were situated in corners, along with stacks of flyers on top of them.

She leaned against the wall as several more people joined the area. Checking the poster to confirm she was in the right place, Korra folded the slip of paper and placed it into her coat. This was one of the sites where potential recruits would sign up for training. Korra glanced around the dwelling. There were people of all ages and genders who wanted to take a more active role in the movement.

Not much later, a group of Equalists arrived at the location, each one taking a place behind one of the desks. They appeared much less freaky without their masks, Korra thought. A man came forward towards the group. The Equalist, who Korra presumed was in charge, began to ask questions and give instructions to everyone gathered.

"First of all, I would like to acknowledge each and every one of you for expressing your interest to become a more prominent member for this movement," He stated as he held a list in his hands. "Now for the details, as we do not have much time and need to wrap everything up soon," he added.

"For those who do not have any experience in fighting, line up at that desk over there," The man said while he motioned with his arm. Many people left the group to queue at the desk. "Those who have experience but no training, line up there," he pointed to the left, and several more lined up behind a desk. Korra looked around at the remaining people left in the group. There were just over half a dozen.

"I presume the rest of you have professional training, you'll all go line up behind that desk," the man said before gesturing towards the corner. Korra and the group followed his lead.

"How many years of training?," the Equalist woman briskly asked Korra when it was her turn in the queue.

"Oh, six years," Korra answered, remembering what was written in her made up profile. In truth, she had being training since the age of four. The woman asked a couple of more questions including her age and name (she was glad the alias was easy to remember).

"Supporting documents?" the woman asked. _Wait, what?_ Korra had not bought the documents, being told they would most likely not ask for them.

"Uhm, sorry, I don't have them with me right now,"

"I see, I'll let it pass today, but you must provide them in a days' time at your enlistment."

"I will," Korra answered as the older woman handed her a letter.

"This letter includes the site's location, along with some other details. Keep it safe," she told Korra.

* * *

It had being a long day, but finally, Korra had reached the Dragon Flats Borough and was now standing in front of a small, old shop. It appeared old, anyway, with its more traditional style build. The street was almost deserted with very few people out. It was strange however, that only a few lamps were lit in the whole street.

She knocked on the door a couple of times, and was greeted by a middle aged woman. The woman, Anju, greeted Korra and let her in as she closed the door behind them.

"I've being waiting for you," said Anju quickly as she ushered Korra up a set of stairs at the back of the shop. She could not get a proper look inside the shop, though it appeared to hold bottles and jars on the shelves, with a distinct scent of herbs permeating the atmosphere.

Upstairs, Korra followed the older woman through a narrow corridor, passing a closed door until they reached two rooms at the end, opposite one another. Anju led her into one of the rooms, which contained only a bed, side table and wash stand. A chair was also placed in the corner of the room.

Korra sighed as she plopped onto the bed. There was already so much she had learned about in one day. Her tummy grumbled, and she realised the lunch Pema had served her earlier in the day felt like a lifetime ago.

"I'll bring you some food while you freshen up," said Anju, leaving the room.

Moments later, Korra had tidied up and finished her meal. She removed her blue hair tie and clips, running her fingers through her hair, enjoying its softness. Korra had found out she was staying at an herbal medicine store, which Anju had owned for many years now. The older woman tended to all sorts of illnesses and ailments.

The woman was kind, and did not ask Korra too many questions. Of course, after just one day, Korra would be living at the Equalist base. In regards to reporting intel, Anju mentioned it was best to do so during early hours before the shop opened, or after closing hours. There was the slight issue of however, the timings of her break when at the base. Though Anju assured her it would be sorted out soon.

Not too long after, Korra snuggled herself under the covers. Her head rested to the side on the pillow as Yue's light streamed into the room, illuminating against the walls. Although the day had been very eventful, not to mention quite frenzied, Korra couldn't help but feel somewhat agitated. It was bad enough that already, she harboured a lot of fear for someone who she had yet to personally meet. Though she tried to convince herself it was probably just her nerves, after all she had never feared anything in her life. There was something tugging at her conscious, the feeling almost akin to worry, for reasons she did not know. _Probably just the creepy mask guy and his weird powers_ , Korra told herself. Soon, her eyes felt heavy as she began to fall asleep.


	4. Dreams

_-:-_

_She was sinking, deep into the depths of the tumultuous ocean. She reached her arms out, trying to bend the water, but to no avail. She tried to fight her fall, but her actions only caused her to descend further. She noticed the water around her was not dark and instead getting brighter with her fall. The light became almost blinding as her eyes tried to adjust to its glare. Everything around her became a blur of white and silver as her fall continued. There was the sound of a sad, echoing melody playing far off into the distance. It was beautiful, she thought as her eyes blinked tears. She almost felt in harmony with the motions. But there was something up ahead, and she knew she was going to crash right into it. Her mouth opened into a scream which never left her mouth as she got closer to the object._

-:-

Korra awoke with a start, panting. She sat up, throwing the covers off herself and clasped her head between her hands. _It was just a dream,_ she gathered, but never had she experienced a dream so vivid in her life. It was dark outside, with the sun yet to rise for the day. Korra swung her legs over the bed as she peered out the slightly open window, a light breeze entering the room. Feeling wetness on her cheek, she bought her hand up and realized she had wept tears while she was dreaming. Korra got up and stood at the wash stand, splashing the cool water onto her face and neck.

She returned to her bed, but found she could not fall asleep, her mind too occupied with the strange dream. _But it felt so real_. Korra turned over in her bed, trying to forget about it, but unlike other dreams she sometimes had, she could not get rid of it from her memory. She pulled the covers up to neck and squeezed her eyes shut. Her heart beat had returned to normal, but sleep still refused to come. It was some time later, when finally, she dozed off.

Korra's morning breakfast had consisted of meat and vegetable jook and pau buns, along with a warm cup of jasmine tea. Anju had given her instructions to sort out the different bundles of fresh herbs and leaves she had collected from market in the early hours of the morning. It was a simple enough task, but Korra quickly lost interest in the menial activity, and wished for something more exciting. Anju had mentioned to her she would come upstairs to check on her in a couple of hours. And so she sat in her room and continued to sort the ginseng roots into a pot and stow the bay leaves into jars.

* * *

Most citizens of Republic City were unaware of what was hidden beneath the city as they went about their daily activities. But underground, preparations were being made for the anti-bending revolution as hundreds of people worked together on the major plans to take down the city and pronounce it equal for all. The Equalist headquarters was becoming a busier place by the day.

The revolution's leader was seated at his desk, with stacks of paperwork on both his sides and even at the foot of the desk. Each step of progress was tracked and reported to him, including all current events in the underground network and outside within Republic City. The advancement of the revolution was largely counted upon by its supporters. Every non-bender who gave their support towards the regime would contribute towards its ultimate success. As such, recruitment was highly sought after in the base. Another development of the movement was in regards to technological advancements, funded by Hiroshi Sato, a multi-millionaire company owner and inventor. Many of his inventions so far had proved to be very beneficial for the revolution, particularly in regards to transportation and combative devices.

Amon drew out a folder from the desk's drawer. It contained the files on new recruits who had expressed their interest as becoming Equalist members. He flicked through the pages, noting down the number of people who had applied, their gender, age and occupation. He stood up and separated the first batch of documents, placing them into a cabinet. Lieutenant had mentioned this was the last set of the recruit's forms; however a few more were to arrive later in the evening.

It came as no surprise that many of the new applicants were from disadvantaged backgrounds, without jobs and struggling to make ends meet. One of the first thing's he had noticed since his arrival to the city was the disparity between the bender and non-bender populations. It was evident in many facets of lives, from job and career opportunities, to living standards, the entertainment industry and sporting events.

Year by year, the difference steadily increased, and escalated following the years after the previous avatar's death. There was a growth in crime rates, especially by organised crime groups such as the Triple Threats Triad and Agni Kai's. It came as no surprise that the police turned a blind eye away from the illegal criminal activities, as the bending populace were given the upper hand in most situations, their testimonies given more value and significance.

Amon continued the paperwork, and replied to Hiroshi's letter regarding expenditure affair. He also received a letter from Cabbage Corp, who had agreed to mass-produce extra posters and flyers for next month. Amon kept his work habits very strict and organized. He was often completing paperwork late into the night after attending meetings with his Equalists or training the recruits. He was orderly and disciplined, and went through to see these traits present in others.

After checking the doors were locked, Amon took a seat back at his desk. His fingers reached behind to carefully untie the strings holding his mask in place. He removed the object and placed it on the desk as he held a cup of tea in his hand. The tea was slightly lukewarm, but he drank it nonetheless, knowing it would provide enough energy to get by for the afternoon.

He reflected back on the previous meeting held with his high-ranking Equalists, and confirmed the strategies discussed and thought about where to include them into the next plan. It was a while before he let his mind drift to the strange occurrence of dream he had experienced last night. It had felt too real. Too out of place, and much uncalled for. Amon rarely let even his subconscious interfere with his persona, but last night had shaken him out of his usual reverie, his mind unable to comprehend the rush of emotions all at once. But the vision was still too fresh in his mind, and the tea was not helping him dissolve the vivid images away from his mind. He could still feel the rush of water against his face as he had plundered into the abyss. Amon set the cup of tea down and fastened his mask back on. It was not well to let a frivolous event upset his order of affairs, especially one so meaningless, he reasoned.

* * *

Anju had left some papers on the side table by the time Korra had worn her grey coat and slipped the bag over her shoulder. The papers were to be written a response and sent to Lin and Tenzin. It was Korra's last free moments before she would be living as a spy at the Equalist headquarters. She sat on the bed and dipped a thin brush into a pot of ink, and wrote what she had noticed about the movement so far. Her hand momentarily shook as she wrote down Amon's ability to take away bending. She almost broke out into a cold sweat every time she remembered the incidence, _or him_ , said a quiet voice inside her.

"Nanuq, I won't be seeing you again for some time. But this will be the drill, to write these letters and notes for me to send them to Lin or councilman Tenzin," said Anju as she held the papers in her hands.

"Thank you so much for everything so far Anju, I'll be sure to drop by," replied Korra.

"Just be careful whenever you do. Good luck," said Anju as they went down the stairs.

The shop was already closed with the lights out. Korra stepped out the door and headed down the street. It was lively, with many people out and about, either purchasing their last minute shopping items or having drinks at taverns. She continued to walk at a leisured pace down the cobblestone path until slowing down near the corner of the street. Korra unfold the letter the Equalist women had given her the prior night. She followed the instructions, taking turns at different roads and intersections until she was once again in the more industrial part of the city.

Korra reached her destination at a candle shop. She entered and looked around for any sign or notice for the Equalist headquarters. _Doesn't seem like the place, maybe I've taken a wrong turn_ , Korra thought, until she saw an old man standing by the counter, who motioned her forward. She showed him the letter and he let her through a door at the back of the shop. The door shut behind her, as the scent of melted wax permeated the air and the dim light illuminating old books scattered on shelves. There was a trapdoor at the far left corner of the wooden floor. Korra lift the door from the ground, revealing only darkness. Taking a deep breath, she went down the ladder.

It was tempting to use her firebending for light, as the darkness continued in every direction of the tunnel. The letter had specified she turn left once underground. But it was hard to tell which direction was where. _The darkness must be his only friend_ , Korra mused as she strolled down the tunnel, which seemed to have tracks going along. Finally, up ahead, she noticed green flashes from a couple of Equalists in their goggled masks. _First the mask, now the uniforms, wow he must really like to play up the creep factor_. They instructed her to aboard the tram which would lead her to the new recruit's camp.

There were lights at the camp, of which Korra was glad for. She looked around the spacious atrium, where Equalists and new members moved about, taking steps to the levels above, or going through the numerous corridors in the walls. Huge banners of the Equalist leader were posted on the walls and hanging off the railings, with the slogan " _Amon is the solution_ " inscribed upon them. Korra looked away. It still made her feel uncomfortable when she saw the mask. _What is going to be like when I really meet him_? Korra pondered.

Korra took the flight of stairs leading to the second floor and soon found herself with the other recruits at a training ground. She was slightly nervous, but noticed the other members were too. She put her letter away, not needing it anymore now that she was here. The group made small talk amongst themselves, but Korra faced away for the time being, not prepared to speak to anyone at the moment. An Equalist man approached them a while later.

"Good evening fellow brothers and sisters, I hope it wasn't too much of a hassle getting here," said the older man as he held a clipboard in his hands. "I'm just going to tick your names off to officially count you as new members of the elite group."

Korra looked around the place as he marked the names. A signboard was placed at the entrance of the hall from where she had entered. It read out as _'elite members'_ in a dark grey colour. It seemed this was the place she was to be residing at, the word _'quarters'_ written beneath the title with an arrow pointing its direction. There was also a kitchen close by the quarters, delighting Korra as it meant she could grab food at any time. She was alerted by the sound of her alias being called.

"Sorry, yes?" Korra asked.

"There is note attached near your name stating you must present your documents," said the Equalist.

 _Not those again_. But luckily, she had bought them with her this time.

"Yeah I have them with me," she said.

"Yes, hand them over," Said the man while Korra retrieved the pages from her bag.

"Actually, they might still be getting processed right at this moment. Take the documents straight to Amon's office instead,"

Korra's mind went numb as she vaguely heard the directions to the office. There was that strange feeling of agitation in the pit of her stomach again. And again, it was very uncharacteristic of her to feel this way. She had not expected to be meeting him so early. _I'm the avatar, I can handle this_ , Korra chanted to herself. She held the bag's strap tighter in her hand and began to make her way to his office.

-:-


	5. New Friendships and Terror

-:-

Korra exhaled a breath as her feet padded down the dimly lit hallway. Her eyes peered straight ahead, trying to figure out where the hallway ended, or if it took a turn in another direction. Every step she took echoed against the floor. She continued to walk at a brisk pace, until finally; she spotted two masked Equalists standing guard at either side of a door. Korra approached them.

"I need to give these to Amon," she said to the Equalist men as her hold tightened on her false documents.

"Right this way, then," replied one of the men, opening the heavy door.

Korra took a deep breath and entered through the door, hearing it click shut behind her. Amon stood at the front, turned away with his hands clasped behind his back as he looked out towards the city through the half-blinded windows. The masked man did not so much as acknowledge her entrance, but continued to look straight ahead. The room was lit with only two lamps on opposite sides of the room, but provided enough illumination in the room.

Korra shuffled on the spot, flicking her ponytail away from her face. She waited for any sign for him to turn around, or at least speak to her. _Why is he taking so long?_ Korra thought as she licked her dry lips, wanting this to be over.

"What do you want?" Amon asked her, his voice deep and gravelly. His tone was emphatic and somewhat impatient.

"Me? Oh, I just came in to give these-" Korra answered as she held the pages out in front of her,"-my documents". Her heart was beating erratically in her chest, she could hear every breath she inhaled and let out. But somehow, she could not hear his breathing, or anything else for that matter. It only made him seem less human, and Korra wondered if he was a human at all. Suddenly, she felt a wave of dizziness wash over her, and it had nothing to do with her current predicament.

He turned around, his gaze shifting to the young woman in front of him. He felt the rush of blood flowing in her veins and furiously pumping through her heart before he properly assessed her appearance. She was nervous and frightened, more so than the average person who met him for the first time. Gathering by her clothes, she seemed to be a new recruit.

"Well then? Hand them over," said Amon.

Korra stepped forward until she was directly in front of him, with only the desk separating them. She placed the documents on the desk, noting the stacks of papers and single pages splayed about. He retrieved the files and began to skim through. Korra felt awkward and very un-Avatar like in her frumpy grey coat. _If only he knew the Avatar was standing in front of him_ , she quickly pushed the thought away, knowing that he would in fact probably take her bending away right then and there.

She had managed to get this far, and any step out of line would have her identity exposed. Korra stood up straighter, trying to show indifference. _He is even taller up close_ , she thought, eyeing his armour. Every inch of his skin was covered except for his hands. She just could not bring herself to look up at the expressionless mask. _It's the eyes_.

"Very well," said Amon, placing the documents away in the cabinet. He looked back at the girl, whose eyes were downcast towards the paperwork on the desk. She appeared to be of water tribe heritage. The girl was avoiding looking at him directly, he had deducted that much, though her heart beat had still not slowed down. It was clear however, that she was feeling very uncomfortable, and her current behaviour did not seem characteristic of her. "You can leave now," he said, placing his hands on the desk.

Korra flinched and looked up. Her gaze locked with his. He held it there momentarily, before she nodded. Without another word, she spun around and went for the door, grasping its metal handle and letting herself out of the office.

-:-

She half ran half walked back to the training halls. Not many people were out as before, and she realised they must have left for their quarters. It was hard to tell what time of the day it was being underground, though at the moment it was obvious night had fallen. Korra took a small flight of stairs to where her quarters were located. She found her room and entered, locking the door behind her. She shrugged the coat off and threw it on a nearby lamp stand, and placed her bag on a small table. It was a modest room with a bed in the corner, a table and dresser. The room was windowless, though had a vent in the wall.

Korra stretched her limbs out before plopping onto the bed, kicking her shoes off in the process. She tucked the pillow between her arms, glaring at the ceiling. She had felt terrified, and he did not even do anything! _I'm the avatar dammit!_ Her sense of value had never being undermined before. But this one man barely said anything to her and she did not know how to act or even reply properly. He already held power over her. _I'm the avatar; I'm the avatar, not him_. He was the one who should fear her. And spirits, those colourless eyes, they seemed to look right through her. Korra huffed and turned in her bed. The room was too dark, and she missed Yue's light she had grown very accustomed to as it helped her fall asleep.

* * *

Training began in the early hours of morning, and after a quick, hasty meal of soup and crab puffs, Korra wearily trudged to the hall. She adjusted the belt around the Equalist uniform she wore, noticing it was not as uncomfortable as she had made it out to be, and in fact looked okay too. Entering the hall, she noticed a couple of faces she recognised from yesterday. As stated on her letter, this was the hall used primarily for the elite groups.

There were quite a few groups of people idly gathered about the hall, waiting for the instructor to arrive. Korra stood near the entrance, unsure of where to go. She yawned, feeling somewhat tired from the lack of sleep last night. It had been the same dream again, and when she woke up, she could not go back to sleep again. Korra sighed and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms over. The stupid dream had felt so real, just like last time. But again, she blamed it on nerves.

"Hey, are you new here?"

Korra turned at the sound. It was a girl, perhaps younger than her, with dark hair tied back and warm brown eyes. She waited for a response.

"Yeah I am," replied Korra, fully turning herself towards the girl.

"You don't have to be all alone, you can join us-" said girl, waving her arm towards a couple of other people. "My name's Riya by the way, what about yours?" Korra responded, and after a few more pleasantries were exchanged, she promptly set off with the girl to her group. It didn't hurt to get to know someone, Korra considered. After all, it would be all the more beneficial to know more about the Equalist members, as not much was known about them too. It would be a great addition to the intel she would report back. They made small talk amongst each other and exchanged names.

Soon after, the instructor entered the hall. The man was not dressed in an Equalist uniform however. He ordered every person to gather around and take their place, and make sure to stand at least a couple of feet away from another.

"Good morning brothers and sisters, I understand that each one of you has faced a lot of difficulty and hardships in life. But that will be the incident no more. From today and onwards, you will possess the skills to defend yourselves and each other," said the instructor.

The lesson began with moderate warming up exercises which included stretches and running laps around the hall. The next segment of the lesson was to learn about the different chi paths in the body. The instructor pointed towards a large poster on the wall depicting a human body with chi paths labelled out. Korra followed through each instruction given. She copied the movements of the chi paths, trailing her hand down her arms and legs and after several minutes, felt the chi flowing through. Riya Beamed at her, and gave praise for learning the technique very quickly. Korra smiled back.

"Great job for today, you are all very quick learners," said the instructor as everyone began to file out of the hall.

Sometime later, Korra was seated at the dining hall's table, picking at her rice with chopsticks. She did not feel very well. Before entering the hall, full of anticipation for a meal, her mind was overcome with dizziness. Why was this happening to her? If only Katara was here right now, she thought, as the best healer in the world would be able to explain her current symptoms. She idly picked at the cabbage leaves, her appetite gone.

"You okay, Nanuq?" Riya asked with concern, placing her hand on Korra's arm.

"I'm fine, just getting used to everything here," replied Korra.

"It's okay, so are we, but it's being confirmed this is the safest place in the city right now. No one can hurt us here," said Riya, giving a look of understanding. Everyone else at the table nodded their head in agreement. Korra felt somewhat confused at first. It seemed as though these people had experienced some serious misfortune to be able to say something like that. Especially since, how could one feel safe about an uprising?

"If I may ask, what happened to you guys before coming here?" Asked Korra, and finally took a bite out of her lunch. Riya's face darkened, turning away. The couple of people seated at the table also turned quiet. She finally spoke.

"They took away everything from me. Everything I owned. Everyone I loved," her voice cracked, and lips trembled slightly. Riya sighed and turned to face Korra, her brown eyes full of loss and grief. "My father had recently lost his job; he couldn't afford the rent anymore, or any other expenses. We were poor, and he struggled to find work, but it was difficult as a non-bender. I was already taking care of my younger brother, but I tried to help him in every way I could," said Riya, taking a sip of her lychee juice.

"What about your mother?" Korra asked softly.

"She was attacked by some bender group years before this happened. I don't remember their name. She began to work at a factory after my brother was born. Going home after one evening, she was attacked..." Riya Looked away again.

"My mother refused to do what those horrible people said," a single tear slid down her cheek. "She would never do anything like that. And kept refusing them," Riya tightened her hold around the cup.

"Riya, what happened?" Korra asked, barely above a whisper.

"They murdered her," Riya said simply, vacantly staring out into space. Korra looked down at her lunch, her appetite once again gone. It felt eerily quiet at the table. She had thought Republic City was a haven, a sanctuary for everyone. She had thought it was a perfect city.

"But what happened to your father and brother?" Korra asked.

"As I said before, he had lost his job. My aunt came to stay with us, while her husband helped clear the rent before we were evicted. But then my father fell very ill, and we could not afford the proper treatment. Shortly afterwards, he passed away," Riya replied, still not looking at anyone. Korra felt a stir of guilt in her stomach, as though it were her fault.

"And now I'm here. My aunt still takes of my brother back in her hometown." She looked up. "I want to see change. I want to be able to defend myself," She gave a weak smile to Korra, "And Amon gives us hope for change. We are finally being given a voice,"

Everyone else at the table began to tell their stories, and each story was filled with just as much tragic events and losses. They had all being through so much. It was no wonder they had developed such hatred and dislike towards benders. The thought made Korra feel very uncomfortable and more aware of herself. When asked to recount her tale, she pieced together different elements, making up a fake story. She felt very bad about it the whole time, especially when they gave their sympathies and comforted her as well.

But it had to be done. If she wanted to get through this task, she had to play along. Though it did not stop her from how she felt. So far, her heart went out to all those who had experienced such hardships and injustice. Her previous judgments about Equalists being nothing but power hungry rebels trying to take down the city was proved wrong many times as she listened to more ill-fated accounts during training lessons and dinner. However, new feelings had arisen, senses of guilt, sorrow and shame. She felt as a failure of an avatar, unable to take responsibility and help all the innocent people, suffering so much at the hands of the more privileged.

-:-

For the next whole week, Korra's days became a routine of training, practice, free time during meal hours, and more training. She began to form a close friendship with Riya, and found out more about others. She had learned more about the different chi paths and how energy flowed through. And when they practiced different forms of self-defence and blocking one's chi, she had produced some of the best results in her class. In the more theoretical aspect however, Korra did not perform as well, her attention span not suited to learning through books. She was a doer, and preferred a more hands-on approach to any given situation.

But every night, she continued to have the strange, vivid dreams. The imagery had changed slightly, but nonetheless remained the same. Korra put the dreams at the back of her mind during the day, and instead immersed herself in her daily routines. There was still no explanation as to why the dreams occurred, and why they felt so real, but she had become slightly used to them.

Her fear for _him_ however, was still ever present, and she had not grown used to it despite not seeing him since their last encounter. Korra avoided looking directly at the banners and posters of his mask placed around the whole facility. It was another facet of life she was ignoring at the moment. It was going to be a half-day tomorrow, meaning there will be an extended break for some hours. As she laid on her bed, trying to fall asleep, Korra realised she would be reporting her first intel report back to Tenzin and Lin tomorrow.

 -:-


	6. Exams and Destruction

 

 

 

-:-

_She was falling again, but she did not feel the water rushing past or enclosing her whole body. No, this place was different. There was no water, but instead a high, windy atmosphere surrounded her, as if she were being spun around in a tornado. Her fall continued, though she was not about to crash into the object again. The scenery changed, she was on ground, finally. Dense, green foliage appeared on the marshy floor as thick tree trunks shot up, reaching the limits of the sky, sprouting branches and leaves. She tried to run, tripping over the ensnaring vines. Vines were hanging down from everywhere. There was no sunlight, the whole place felt damp and murky. She panicked, trying to move again. Distantly, she heard her name being called out, over and over again._

-:-

"Times up for today," the instructor commanded to the Equalists in training.

They had being practising sparring moves against one another, along with endurance tests to track their performance so far. Korra continued to block her opponent's moves, counteracting every strike thrown at her and looking for her partner's weakness. She aimed a kick at her opponent's leg, breaking her stance and effectively throwing her off balance. Korra crossed her arms and gave a smug smile. It felt great being able to actively practice the skills she had learnt. The energetic rush that came from throwing a punch or landing a kick gave Korra a sense of self-satisfaction.

"Great work everyone, enjoy your break," said the instructor as the students exited the training hall.

Korra finished lunch in the dining hall and bidding Riya goodbye, left for her quarters. Once reaching the room and closing the door behind her, she quickly changed into her normal clothes. Korra leaned down against the wall, finally letting her mind think about the most recent dream. It was different, but she still felt the same emotions during it, as if the dreams were somehow connected. But they didn't make any sense at all. If they were important, Aang would have given her a vision. However, she wasn't in touch with her spiritual side yet, and so she would never know. Besides, now was not the time to think about it.

She had a few hours to spare before returning back to the headquarters. There was already quite a lot to report back, though she felt somewhat uneasy about giving away the information. Everyone here had grown to trust her. Korra chewed on her bottom lip, debating on what information should be reported. Lin and Tenzin did not have to know about _everything_ , she would tell them later. Maybe. Getting frustrated at her mixed response with her duty and priorities, Korra left the room and headed towards the tunnels.

-:-

A while later, Korra stood near the same ladder leading up to the trapdoor in the candle shop. She gripped the bars and made her way up, placing her feet on each step. Pushing up the heavy wooden door, she climbed into the store room, noting the light was out. She stood up and brushed the dust off her clothes. There was no light in the room, but the scent of candle wax was still strong.

She opened a fraction of the store room's door, peering outside to see if there were any customers. When noticing no one, except for the store's owner, Korra made her way out the room. The owner gave her nod, assuming she was just another Equalist going out for a break. Which she was, though only as a disguise, but he did not know that. She felt bad about it again, but assured herself it was all for the betterment of the city. _Is it really?_ She pushed the thought away.

Once outside in the streets, Korra was in no rush to get things done, and so she walked at a leisured pace along the cobblestone path, enjoying the city's sights. There were so many shops and restaurants, the latter holding more interest to her. She slowed down past a Water Tribe restaurant as the scent of delicious, authentic food floated through the air. She made a mental note to visit the place when her mission was complete.

Korra was soon standing at the entrance of Anju's herbal medicine store. She entered through the door, and made her way past the store's aisles and shelves. There were no customers and Anju was nowhere to be seen. Feeling puzzled, Korra indiscreetly made her way up the set of stairs. The lights were out as she let herself into the bare room she had stayed in before. There was no one inside, or any note left on the table, except for an empty tea cup. She was more confused by the minute, wondering why there was no note or letter, or where Anju was herself. It felt like a waste of time getting all the way here, just to find nothing.

She was about to leave the room when a thought occurred to her. She had not checked the bed sheets, or beneath the pillow. Lifting up the pillow, there was nothing, but as she pulled back the bed covers, she noticed a small slip of paper lying flat on the bed. Korra unfurled the paper, but to her dismay found nothing written on it, _what's the point of that?_ She pursed her lips, noting the lamp in the corner of the room, _maybe if I try it this way_. Sure enough, when she lit the lamp and held the piece of paper near it, words appeared on the previously blank paper.

_Korra, a series of dangerous events have recently occurred in the city. Tenzin and I urge you to leave the base immediately. Your life could be in grave danger, please take our advice and return to Air Temple Island, signed- Lin._

Korra re-read the slip of paper before burning it in a ball of flame in her hand. She was irritated that they did not think she was competent enough to finish the task, or take care of herself. And what 'dangerous' events were they talking about? So far she had not seen anything out of the ordinary in the streets on her way here.

It did not make sense, especially when they told her she was the most suitable person for the task. Along with the fact that there was nothing else explained on the paper, just a few short sentences probably meant to scare her into returning back. As much as she resented partaking in the mission earlier, she now felt it were her obligation as the avatar to complete it. Well, she was not about to go anywhere, and as the avatar, she could handle anything. Exiting the room, Korra made her way back to the Equalist base.

* * *

"Sir, here is the most recent report on the new taxation laws issued by the council."

Amon placed the files on the table in front of him as his subordinate listed off the various groups of individuals and business affected by the laws. The Equalists gathered at the long table gave their input on the matter, suggesting how to handle it in regards to their upcoming plans for the revolution. Monitoring the council's movement was an important task as it assisted in making predictions about the city's future events.

"There's being a pressing concern quite recently, sir," said one of the higher-ranking Equalists, as she shuffled through papers in her hands. "The west district of Raijin has been destroyed by...something. But it's not the only place, central city station and a couple of other places have also experienced the same incident. According to eyewitness accounts..." The Equalist trailed off and looked away.

"In what manner were these locations destroyed?" Amon asked sceptically, folding his hands in front of him on the table.

"It's hard to describe, and no photographs have been taken of the sites yet. The structures appear to have being sliced through the sides, and left a green substance behind. The buildings remain standing however. Also, the cuts appear too strong for a water bender to have accomplished," the Equalist member continued. "And what's more strange is they all seem to have occurred simultaneously."

Amon pondered this over. The possibilities of any other type of bender attempting this seemed slim, as explained, the movements appeared to be that of a water bender, but were clearly not. Earth benders would need to destroy the earthy material beneath the building first for it to collapse, and fire benders would burn it, most obviously. There was someone else at the cause of the matter.

"And according to these eyewitnesses, who did this?"

"Spirits, sir."

There were gasps and murmurs amongst his Equalists. In the course of Republic City's history, spirit attacks had never been reported. Humans were the cause of every problem in the city, and spirits never interfered with the physical aspects of the city. This included every architectural site, residential and industrial buildings.

Another consideration to make was that prior to the city's expansion on this land, the site had been checked if it were already owned by a spirit. The previous avatar had made sure there was no development on a spirit's natural habitat. The situation contained far too many plot holes, and required further research. Amon gave orders to every Equalist to examine the sites in a more thorough manner.

"Sir, there's being rumours that the Avatar is responsible for this," said his second in command.

There was more talk among the group, as they came up with different theories and asking him if the avatar was indeed, the cause of the situation. Amon clenched his hands under the table. The appearance of the Avatar in the city would put a hindrance to all his plans and everything he had accomplished so far, undoing years of hard work. The Avatar, the world's so-called _saviour_ , its _hero_ , had done absolutely nothing to solve the conflicts present in the city. _Had done absolutely nothing to stop his father's madness_.

The previous Avatar had passed away over seventeen years ago and the whereabouts of the current one were unknown. She was from the water tribe, that much was known. However, if her age and years of training was any indication, it would not be too long before she came to Republic City. Unless she was already here. That could be another possibility. And it did not seem unlikely at all.

"Due to the situation, sir, do you think the avatar will come to Republic City?" asked one of his Equalists.

Amon left his seat and observed the view of Republic City through the window, his back towards everyone.

"We'll find out soon enough."

* * *

Korra left the dining hall with Riya after they finished dinner. This evening's session would allow the students to accomplish a milestone in their level of training, as they would finally be tested against the more professional Equalist members. Korra felt a rush of adrenaline at the thought. The test would finally allow her to see how she would fight against the Equalists in a real situation. Of course, she won't be bending, but her practice in hand-to-hand combat so far would show how capable she is as a fighter. Korra was always up for a challenge, and enjoyed trying to be the best at what she did.

"Are you nervous about the test?" Riya asked her as they entered the training hall.

"Nope, I actually feel really good about this," Korra responded confidently, placing a hand on her hip.

Riya beamed at her. "You'll make a great Equalist someday, but good luck anyway," she said.

"You too Riya," said Korra, standing a couple of feet away from her and readying her stance. She felt the tug of guilt in her stomach again. She felt horrible about lying, especially when Riya, or even the others, looked up to her with so much pride. The situation was just becoming more difficult.

"Good evening, students. As you may all know, today your abilities will be put to the test. The only marks rewarded will be distinction or pass, no fails," said the instructor as he stood at the front of the hall.

"Every person here is equal, and no one's abilities undermine the others. However, there will be some who need further improvement," he continued. "Now, I instruct you all to pick spot in the hall, anywhere, even behind the obstacle course." Everyone began to move around. Korra took her place towards the entrance, where there was enough room to fight with her opponents.

"This is a scenario of a real life situation, and measures will be taken as such," said the instructor as he flicked off the light switch, descending the hall into darkness.

A couple of more instructions and safety procedures were given, before the students were asked to wear their goggled masks to allow better night vision.

"The test begins now."

Korra peered around in the semi-darkened hall. There was no movement from anyone, but she could make out some of the figures standing their ground at various spots.

She listened carefully, readying her arms in front of her and slightly moved her torso in other direction, waiting for an attack. She waited, and listened to the earth beneath her-

Korra blocked a punch with her hand from the left, and spun around, motioning a kick at her opponent's torso. Another Equalist approached her as she threw a punch, knocking him to the side. She continued to fight off the two Equalists, using the momentum of her limbs to attack her opponents while defending herself. Korra fought with passion, not backing down from more oncoming attacks, striking down the Equalists as she made a cartwheel. The experience was exhilarating, and made her feel very alive and in her zone.

There was another figure ahead of her. Although the hall was still in a state of darkness, she knew who it was, the mask glaring through the shadows. Korra's blood ran cold. She momentarily froze on the spot. But if he was out here, then he must be willing to engage in a fight. Debating this, she wasted no time in throwing a punch towards him. But he swerved the oncoming hit, at a speed so fast she did not have time to react. Korra twisted her body around to strike his legs and missed. She felt enraged as he nimbly dodged every assault thrown at him, as if she were trying to swat a spiderfly. _Monkeyfeathers, I almost had him!_ She continued to fight him for several minutes, but always missed. He did not even throw a single hit towards her.

"Time's up!" bellowed the instructor. The lights were turned back on in the hall as the students and Equalists stopped in action. Everyone made their way towards the front as the instructor explained how the marks would be handed out.

Pulling her mask off, Korra could only stare straight ahead, her face still full of fierce determination. She refused to look at Amon, who was currently standing right near her, his demeanour calm as ever. The instructor approached them, his expression delighted.

"I see Nanuq's had the honour to be tested against our leader!" said the instructor as he proudly beamed at Korra. "She is one of the best students of my class, never one to back down from a fight," he continued.

Amon said nothing as he scrutinised Korra, slowly encircling her.

"Her posture could use some practice, and her forms are still clumsy. She certainly doesn't lack the skills or passion, however," he said after some time, standing in front of her again.

Korra's hands were clammy, she could feel rivulets of sweat down her back, from exertion and, she hated admitting it all the time, fear. But she continued to look straight ahead, trying not to show how uneasy she felt.

"Of course sir, and we intend to correct that in due time," said the instructor, still all smiles. "Nanuq, show your appreciation to our leader."

Korra inwardly cringed. _Great, act like some sort of his fan girl_. It had to be done though, for appearance's sake. "Thank you for taking my examination, sir," said Korra, emphasising 'sir' and going so far as to give a bow with a flourishing wave of hand. Korra worried she had sounded too sarcastic. Who cares, that's his problem, she thought. Not everyone needs to grovel at his feet.

The Equalist leader continued to look at her impassively, before turning around and addressing the students in the hall. "Brothers and sisters, you have all shown strength and resilience this evening, and you will continue to do so. Your efforts will prove to be of great value in the future, and my comrades and I congratulate you on that." His voice reverberated throughout the hall, holding everyone's attention as they looked up at him in awe.

-:-

Amon and his Equalists left soon after, silently leaving the hall just as they had entered. The instructor also ordered everyone to exit the hall, single file. Riya caught up to Korra.

"That was amazing, you did so well!" said Riya, looping an arm around Korra's. She nodded and gave a faint smile. There was that dizzy feeling again. She had to be alone right now. Korra gave her goodbye to Riya, explaining she was tired and won't be attending dinner. The girl nodded and left for the dining hall.

-:-

Once inside her quarters, Korra went over to the basin and splashed water onto her face. _It's like I've woken up from my dreams again_. She clutched her head, trying to steady herself as a shiver went through her. _A bath, that's what I need right now_.

Sometime later, Korra was seated in the bath tub, the warm water encasing her body. She had finally calmed down. Relaxing herself against the tub, she let her mind drift away from the dreams and nightmares.

It had been a week since she had visited Anju's store. They were not allowed to have extended breaks outside the facility anymore. There were rumours flying around, about certain areas of the city being attacked by spirits. Buildings were being carved and cut away at, and left a moss-like substance behind.

Immediately, she was reminded of Lin's note. Could this be what she was referring too? Korra swam her hands in the water, but did not bend it. She chewed on her bottom lip. Her dreams were getting more intense, and she had already had another encounter with _him_. She still felt enraged about the incident; it was so difficult to knock him down.

Korra sighed. She hated lying to Riya too; the girl had shown her nothing but kindness. Someone would find out about her façade soon. Maybe Lin and Tenzin were right, perhaps it was time to leave.

-:-

 


	7. Growing Perils and Escape

-:-

Plumes of smoke were rising from factories in Republic City's industrial sector as the workers began their shift for the day. In just one week since the desecration of the city's buildings, many more anomalies had been reported. In fact, the situation had become much more extreme. It was no longer just the buildings being carved and cut away at, the strange substance left behind from the attacks were growing into vegetation, covering the entire buildings with plants, shrubs and vines.

But one of the most harrowing and mysterious incidents to occur was the disappearance of entire buildings. Not the people themselves, but their shops, houses and other local establishments. Panic ensued throughout the public as they feared for what would happen next. The council and the police force tried to subdue the public's response, assuring them they would have it under control soon, though the press and media heard otherwise as they stirred up the mass hysteria instead.

Amon filed away the last stack of paperwork of the day. In light of recent events, the Equalist's activities had slowed down. The revolution had being placed at the back burner, for the time being. Placing a diagram and map of the city in front of him, Amon pinpointed the various sites that had been attacked, or straight out vanished in thin air. How such an event could escape the eyes of the authorities was a whole matter in itself. They seemed to be proving themselves incompetent more and more.

Republic City was a mess, its situation drawing the attention of every other nation around the world. It was near impossible to confront the spirits. For one it was not easy trying to face the spirits themselves, who were difficult to track down. It was suspected they made visits back and forth from the spirit world, but where the portal was to enter the spirit world was a mystery, its location unknown.

Amon drew plans to send out a team of his Equalists to find the portal. It had to either be somewhere in the city or the surrounding outskirts. If such a task wielded positive results, it would give further credit to the revolution. However the whole matter of spirits was something the Avatar dealt with.

The _Avatar_. Once again showing her obvious disconnection with the events. Surely, plant covered sites and disappearing buildings must have being bought to her attention. Did she not consider herself the bridge between the two worlds? Even her previous successor would have somehow handled the situation despite his many shortcomings. So far this Avatar had made evident how much she had failed as the world's saviour. There had being no news about her, no message from her, or even a public appearance...

Something about this did not sit right with him. It was unusual to not show up already, all excuses included. No matter the age or experience of an Avatar, they would always be called upon in these situations. There was definitely something suspicious about the Avatar's apparent course of action, or lack thereof. Even the public was questioning her whereabouts. In fact, councilman Tenzin, one of the Avatar's primary mentor in regards to her training, had not stepped up to suppress the public's outcry or at least provide a definitive reason for the Avatar not being in the city. He was hiding something, hiding her, perhaps...

The Avatar had to be in Republic City, there were no other reasonable explanations for her absence otherwise. And he was going to investigate the situation for himself.

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Korra bought the cup of tea to her lips, feeling the hot liquid slide down her throat. Her current state of mind was under pressure from what was happening in the city at the moment. Just when she thought her position could not get any more difficult, there was news that entire buildings had just vanished in the blink of an eye. Not that there had been any witnesses for the event.

And then there were the other bizarre spirit shenanigans throughout the city. The public was going crazy, much like her mind. And _spirits_ , she did not sign up for this. This whole trip was supposed to be about enjoying her stay in the city after the completion of the task. She could kiss those dreams goodbye just about now. Korra turned towards Riya, noticing the girl's concern _. And I hate lying to her; she's too kind and doesn't deserve this_. Riya was after all the first friend she had ever made, after Naga of course.

"I'm fine, really. It's just that with everything going on, I'm kind of worried, I guess," replied Korra, moving around a piece of fried octopus-squid in the bowl with her chopsticks.

"If there's anything else, just let me know," said Riya.

Korra gave a small smile, and continued eating her lunch. This could not go any longer. It had almost been a week since her hand-to-hand combat exam. A week since she had told herself she would leave. But to her dismay, she had not found the opportunity to do so. The regulations had become even stricter, with Equalists patrolling every tunnel under the city. The couple of times she had wandered off, she had been noticed by an Equalist guard, and had to make up an airy excuse before returning to the base.

Today would their first chi-blocking session, and despite her dilemma, Korra was excited to learn the technique. She had seen it in practice when going past training halls, as the students used wooden posts to simulate a person, jabbing different points on them. Chi-blocking was the next skill after hand-to-hand combat, and from what she had learned during their theory classes- or what she bothered to listen about, theory work not being her strongest point- the technique had being practiced for centuries, though only by a select few. Amon was one of the first people to craft chi-blocking on a larger scale, with more people able to learn the skills with practice. Korra changed her direction of thoughts. She had being placing him at the back of her mind, not wanting to deal with anything more than she could handle.

Korra stood and faced out towards the hall's entrance as more students entered through. The instructor had placed the wooden posts at every internal, one for each student.

"The art of chi-blocking is an ancient technique. It is considered one of the best forms of defense, as your opponents no longer remain as much of a threat once their bending is blocked," said the instructor.

Some of the students began to joke about how harmless a bender becomes when their bending is temporarily blocked. Korra looked away; the technique was useful, that much could not be argued about. But their words were true, if she was chi-blocked by someone during a fight, she really would become harmless, especially when she heavily relied on bending to fight. She would be left _weak_.

"Chi-blocking stops a bender's chi flow and reduces their muscle's strength," continued the instructor as he explained more about the effects of chi-blocking.

The rest of the lesson was spent learning about different pressure points in the body and the effect they had once hit. To her horror, Korra found out that there were pressure points which would instantly kill the victim if they were jabbed. She practiced the different moves on the wooden post, using light jabs with her fingers. Even the thumb could be used to block a chi path. Later, the students were instructed to practice on each other. Korra teamed with Riya, who was quicker with the technique than she was, twisting around and jabbing her arm. The sensation of being chi-blocked made her joints soft, as if they were made of melted wax. The feeling did go away after a while however.

Korra continued to practice with Riya, laughing as they tripped over one another until the instructor scolded them for their bad etiquette. But she found it hard to stifle her laughter as she glanced across to Riya, who also tried to keep herself composed, but failed. Korra couldn't hold it in anymore as she burst out laughing again, collapsing to the ground and clutching her sides.

Some of the students paid her attention, but most were busy trying to block each others chi. Korra felt tears welling up in her eyes; it had been too long since she had felt like this. She was over everything. Nothing made sense anymore. Korra wished this moment would last forever, where she could just be herself again. She laid there, staring at the high ceiling, _at least his dumb mask isn't covering this space_ -

"Nanuq, Stand up immediately!" yelled the instructor at Korra.

She stood up, and looked around sheepishly. The hall felt eerily quiet, but no one seemed to be looking at her. Even Riya was facing towards the front. Korra followed her gaze. She froze, as her mouth suddenly got very dry. _Why oh why does this happen to me?!_

Amon stood at the entrance of the hall, along with two masked Equalists by his side.

"Show proper manners Nanuq. You will not be given any leniency next time," the instructor continued.

But Korra only partially heard what he said. She was rooted to the spot, her mind numb. All those emotions she had bottled up threatened to spill out. No matter how hard she tried, she would never get over the sheer terror she felt. It was tearing her apart; it was making her go crazy. He made her crazy. His whole presence and entire existence haunted her dreams, her life. If it wasn't for him, she would not even be here right now, but instead enjoying her normal avatar life. She wanted to run away from everything.

"Apologize to our leader right now."

Korra took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. _I'm the Avatar, I'm the Avatar_. She clenched her fists by her side. All for appearances, she reminded herself. It's all for this now pointless mission. She could feel the beads of sweat trailing down her temple.

"I, I apologize for my bad behavior, sir."

Amon held his hand up, "It's fine. We sometimes tend to get carried away with our emotions without realizing."

_Like you have any emotions_. Korra looked around the training hall, at the instructor, the other students, anywhere but at him.

He stepped forward, addressing the whole class.

"I'm sure you may all know about the present state of the city," he said. "And I'm also sure you know there have been a lot of speculations regarding the Avatar."

There was murmurs and whispering among the students. Korra held her arms, trying to look insignificant. There was that uncomfortable, awkward feeling again. Her heart was racing; she _really_ didn't want to be here right now. People began to speak up.

"The Avatar's done nothing to help us or this city!"

"Worst Avatar ever."

"She doesn't even deserve the title!"

Korra bit her bottom lip, her eyes downcast. Once, she would have thrown those words back in their face, tried to prove them wrong. But right now, there was no pride or honour, just a sinking, hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach. The words stung her. What they were saying was true, she really had done nothing to help anyone or this city. Korra wished for the lesson to just end.

"Yes, the Avatar has failed once again in her duties," said Amon

"But we do not need her, brothers and sisters," he continued. "The spirits have been entering through a portal, and as of yet the council and police have failed to locate it. I'm recruiting a small group with me to find it instead." There was excitement among the crowd.

"Anyone interested is welcome to join; it is a dangerous task however so I encourage you to make your decision with thought. The rest of you can leave, class is over."

_Finally_ , Korra did not want to have anything to do with this, and promptly left the hall, hearing his voice as he spoke to the participants. Once at a small distance away from the hall, Korra made a sprint back to her quarters. _No more, I have to escape_.

* * *

This was the night; she was going to leave this place for good. Korra had waited for three days, monitoring the Equalists guard duty in the tunnels. It had been an exhausting task, waking up early in the mornings and staying up until late. They were almost always on duty, pacing the tunnels or taking the trolleys. They had not caught sight of her during that time as she hid in the shadows, for which she was thankful for.

Korra was here now, near a ladder under the trapdoor. This was not the one which led out the candle store, but a much less used door for a restaurant. She went up the ladder, opened the trapdoor and let herself in. It was a small kitchen, used primarily for baking goods. The light was off and the floor was covered in flour. She went down the corridor, the scent of fresh earth kingdom cuisine getting stronger.

During late hours of the restaurant, there were not many customers inside. Most were spending their down time with drinks, not giving much notice to their surroundings. _They're also just trying to escape the realities of life_. Korra slipped out the entrance doors, breathing in the sharp, chilly air.

The streets were deserted, with only a few lamps lit along the road. There was a slight breeze in the atmosphere, swaying the lone trees and swirling loose leaves and debris along the pathway. She continued at a brisk pace on the footpath, cursing herself when she remembered leaving the city map in the quarters. If only she could get out of the central district of the city, she would find the way to Air Temple Island with much more ease.

Korra wrapped her arms around herself when the breeze became stronger, with the wind whistling. She felt horrible about not notifying Riya of her leave, but she would have to spew out more lies and cover up even more. Quite frankly, she was tired of lying to her, and to everyone else she had come to know. Besides, Riya would never have accepted her true identity. She also held extreme dislike for the Avatar along with everyone else. Korra sighed as she turned a corner, her mukluks patting softly against the cobblestone path.

She almost laughed to herself when remembering Lin and Tenzin's words about not talking to anyone unless absolutely necessary. It was almost impossible for that to happen in a place where you can't get around knowing one another. It had felt nice, talking to someone other than Naga about stuff which did not include her bending or training. Korra was an extrovert, she felt energized when spending time with others.

It was sometime later when she noticed something wrong with the town's bank up ahead. The building was completely covered in a plant-like growth. Shrubs had sprouted at the base, with thick vines plastered down the sides. They appeared to have grown out from large cracks in the side, and twisted their way around the entrance and windows.

It was not the only site; there were more buildings like this a couple of blocks down the road. Spirits were the cause of this, she knew. It was her responsibility to solve this issue. _I will fix this soon, I'm the Avatar,_ but she doubted herself already. Korra knew there were also a couple of sites from which the buildings had disappeared, though she did not see them on her way.

The ocean soon came into view, its deep blue hue illuminated by the full moon. Korra relaxed, she was almost at Air Temple Island. She crossed the intersection of the road and continued on her way. There were no satomobiles out on the road as the quiet chirping of the grasshopperflies rung through the air.

Korra found the familiar rocky edge down the side of the footpath. Almost a month ago she had come up from here. Almost a month ago she had been a different person from now. She carefully stepped down the rocks, until she felt the soft sand depress under her. She dragged her feet across the sand, reaching the shoreline.

Korra stopped for a moment and stared out across the vast body of water. She could almost make out the twinkling lights of the island. The ocean looked beautiful, with Yue's light dappling across its surface. Korra bent a stream of water into her hands, feeling a sense of calm and peace she did not realize she had missed as she arced the flow of water through the air.

She was about to get ready to bend the water around her to propel herself into the ocean, when she noticed something different about the ocean. She peered closer. It appeared as if the water was...colorful. It wasn't the light, no; the water itself was in hues of red, violet and green among other colors. Right before her eyes, the water began to ripple and form a small wave.

Korra was so immersed in the movements of the rippling, colorful water that she did not notice when her hands were clasped behind her in a firm grip and another hand clamp tightly over her mouth.

"Welcome to Republic City, _Avatar_ ," she heard in a distinctive voice she knew all too well.

 -:-


	8. Spirit Limbo

-:-

The world around her stopped in that moment. She did not attempt to move, or even fight against the hold. _No, this isn't happening_. This was just one of her nightmares. It had to be. Only a couple of more minutes and she would wake up. Maybe she should pinch herself somehow. Korra bit the inside of her mouth, _wake up, wake up dammit!_ But to no avail, the sharp wind was still whipping across her face and through her hair, the tangy scent of seawater was still strong, the constant buzz of grasshopperflies still prevalent. The waves continued to crash against one another, the foamy water lapping against the shore as she stood there, petrified. What kind of horrific dream was this?

"Young Avatar, what gave you the assumption you would go by unnoticed?"

Yue's light felt too bright, too _real_ as it bathed the ocean in its glow. Korra shut her eyes tight, feeling the trails of cold sweat slide down her forehead and back. For the last time, she willed her mind to wake up again. _No, spirits no, this isn't real, please_.

Amon removed his hand from her mouth, but his sturdy grip remained on her wrists. Her breaths came out in short and shallow pants through her mouth. Korra swallowed the lump in her throat as she opened her eyes. Apart from the hand tightened on her wrists, she could not feel him behind her. There was no other indication of his presence. She could not hear him breathe or even move, nothing to suggest he was _human_. The wind picked up in speed, whistling through the air.

"Although, I must commend you for your efforts. You almost outsmarted everyone." Amon continued. Korra was once again too late to react as his fingers jabbed at her arms, neck and down her spine. She collapsed in an unceremonious heap on the ground. " _Almost_."

Korra lay there, trembling as she tried to distance herself from what was happening. Her fingers sifted through the sand under her, trying to hold it into her fists. Barely above a whisper _,_ a small voice inside her asked, _how in the spirits did he find out?_ The world was tilted on its axis, and appeared as if the ocean's tides were trying to swallow up the moon, always missing. She tried to move her mouth, to say something, but the words came out broken and incoherent.

Her arms were still immobilised, but she tried to push herself up with her legs, sitting in a half upright position. Her head felt heavy, unable to support itself on her numb neck. Suddenly, she caught a flash of colour out the corner of her eyes. The ocean was rippling again, the bright hues dancing against the water. There was something at the horizon, something moving at a ferocious speed. Korra squint her eyes. When it got closer did she realize that it was in fact a giant tide, ripping through the vast ocean and only getting larger in size.

And it was headed right in their direction!

"Wave-there's a wave!" Korra shrieked.

She barely registered herself being roughly yanked backwards. Amon seized her arms, dragging her body across the sand, away from the shoreline. But the cascade of water continued to plunder forward, its magnificent array of colours glistening under the moonlight. The scene was quite beautiful, had the circumstances being different. The wave was almost to the shore, and gained even more momentum.

Korra was pulled up to her feet as she felt the movement return in her spine and neck. She forced herself to run as quickly and far away as possible from the ocean. The biting wind rushed past her in the opposite direction, the sand lashing against her eyes and bare skin. She stumbled, she swayed, but she pushed herself to keep going.

It was too late.

In one huge, sweeping motion, the colossal wave rushed across the shoreline and crashed upon the beach, covering the entire site to the end and devouring everything in its way. Korra screamed as she was engulfed by the tide, her body pummeling with the tumultuous currents. She could not bend the water around her to stop the tide's movements. It was too strong as it pulled her away from the shoreline. Korra thrashed about, the deafening roar of the monstrous wave drowning out her screams.

The tide receded into the ocean once again as bright flashes of red and violet pulsed through the surface of the seawater, glowing high to reach the limits of the sky. Korra felt her body make impact with the ocean. The icy coldness bit her skin as she sunk into the cavernous depths of the water.

She tried to bend again, but her attempts were futile. Memories of her childhood flashed before her eyes, memories of when she first met Naga, sharing stories with Katara, playing with the airbender children, embracing her parents before she left the South Pole… _This is it, this is how I go_. She thought it was the most ironic way to leave the world. Korra felt her eyes close and limbs slacken by her side as she plundered deeper into the ocean, a blinding light surrounding her. _Light?_ But Korra did not delve on it for long, her mind slipping out of consciousness. _It's over_.

* * *

Living for thousands of years gave time for a lot of perspective and observation in both the human and spirit worlds. As the spirit guardian of the limbo between the two worlds, Roshni had the duty to defend and protect them from harm's way. Except there was only so much she could do, as taking care of the realm was a big responsibility. Order and balance in the domain was of utmost priority.

She had resided under the mountains since ancient times. They were her home, her place of solace. Roshni sat down near the crystal filled pond, the glow of the stalactites reflecting upon its surface. The Avatar was the bridge between the human and spirit world, and bought balance to the world. They were perhaps the most powerful human beings during their time.

No individual had ever achieved the Avatar's level of power, except this time. There were two forces of nature to be reckoned with, both held incredible strength, in different ways. But with great strength came the obligation to keep balance in the world. Any pull in one direction had a disastrous impact on the world. Chaos would ensure with unrest and imbalance at every corner of the human and spirit world.

Roshni reached her hand out to the pond, her fingertips barely touching the water. The water rippled as an image formed on the surface. Lights and tall buildings appeared, with roads dark and isolated. The human world was already being affected by the state of imbalance as the spirits rampaged through the city after dusk, some destroying the sites as an act of aggression, others claiming the human city as their home. They felt displaced and at unrest. It was now the duty of two individuals to restore unity and proclaim peace.

_Push and pull._

_Dark and light._

_Ocean and moon._

_Yin and yang._

It was the birth of a new era.

* * *

It felt soft and warm, but also somewhat prickly. Her cheek felt hot and stung a little bit. She could hear the faint cries of birds overhead and the sound of foamy seawater lap over the shore. Korra was disoriented, her senses still getting used to the environment. She slowly opened her eyes, adjusting them to the glare of the sun. Her body ached all over, as if she had been hit by a satomobile. _Ouch_. Korra groaned as she lifted herself up on her arm, muscles tense and sore. Her head was spinning. _What happened?_

A barrage of the previous events memories came rushing to her. The Equalist headquarters, her escape, and the giant, colourful tide! _Spirits, where am I?_ She whipped her head around, finally taking in her surroundings.

Grey sand covered the vast expanse of land, the sunlight glittering on every grain. It stretched on forever in every direction. In front of her, the water washed in and retreated back into the inky, blue sea. It also stretched on for miles in the horizon. The whole place was vacant and empty, except for a couple of isolated boulders displaced across the land, and chipped pieces of shells in the sand, glimmering under the sun's rays.

Placing her hands on her knees, Korra slowly stood up. She stretched her muscles, feeling them relax and unkink. Her mind was still in a daze as she recalled more events. Sinking into the deep, ominous depths of the ocean, fighting against the water, trying to free herself... She remembered _him_ , the chilling words, his hold on her, blocking her chi...

Korra was suddenly on full alert. She was not the only one the tide had taken. _He must be here too!_ Just as the thought occurred, dread washed over her. But glancing around the beach, she saw no one. Wherever he was, she was not going to think about it. It was clear he was not here; the tide must have washed him ashore somewhere else, or served him as dinner for the unagi. Korra hoped for the latter, _serves him right_.

She pushed her bangs away from her eyes, still gazing towards the currents until a thought occurred to her. Her clothes were dry. She patted down her tank top and sealskin pants. Completely dry, even her mukluks. Surely, being vomited out by the ocean must have soaked her to the core. Not even the sun could have dried everything in a short amount of time. Her stomach lurched. This was no ordinary place, and Korra knew something felt off about it the moment she woke up. Then where exactly was she if-

"Going to stand around all day, Avatar?"

Korra's body jerked at the sound, the hairs on the back of her neck prickling. If absolute fear had consumed her before, she was now filled with a new-found sense of uncontrolled rage. She was _not_ going to be the victim again, and she was definitely not about to let him have the upper hand anymore. It was time Amon knew just how much she was capable of! She was sick of everything, of him. In fact, she wouldn't even be here right now if he had not stopped her! Here in this strange, foreign place from where she had no clue how to return home...

She snapped. Korra bended the water and shot it behind her in icy shards. She watched as he evaded the attack, merely stepping to the side. She yelled, flinging more shards at him in every direction. Korra punched through the air and launched a fire blast. And missed again. Enraged, she bended the water in front of her into a pillar of ice and swiped her arms over it, hurling sharp discs at him. With quick, nimble movements, Amon sidestepped each onslaught. Korra rounded at him, her hands lit with balls of flames, and sent them flying towards him.

Unrestrained, wild and frenzied, Korra's offensive continued as she threw ice darts and fired several fists of fire at him.

And just like that, with his grace, agility and stealth, he continued to sidestep and evade every oncoming assault of fire and ice thrown at him. Amon did not attempt to counter her strikes or defend himself in any way.

Korra was furious. _I will knock you down!_

"Fight back!" Korra eyed the large boulders near her.

"Fight back you coward!" She earthbended two massive boulders into the air.

"This is _your entire_ fault!"

She launched the boulders right towards him. But this time, he barely avoided the attack as the slabs of rocks scraped past his arms. He ducked, and rolled over as the boulders landed behind him with a _crack_.

Korra was panting as she stood there, her body poised to attack. She flicked her wrists; about to stream a spike of ice-

He reached her first, striking every nerve in her arms, spine and legs. She fell to her knees, glaring up at him, trying to muster every ounce of hatred into it.

Amon stood in front of her, hands behind his back as he regarded her.

"I'm disappointed," he said simply.

Korra felt her high disappear. She was once again very aware of her situation and exactly who she was dealing with. His mask stared down at her, mocking her current dilemma. She should have just run away and thought about what she was doing, but Korra always acted first. Korra gasped as his hand reached out towards her. _He's going to take away my bending..._ She turned her head away, closing her eyes.

She was instead met with a grip on her chin. But she kept her eyes shut, thinking of another place, another time, where she was safe and happy with her family and mentors. Fear was something she never thought she would experience. She was the avatar, and these emotions were not typical of one.

"Look at me."

Korra kept her eyes firmly shut, refusing to obey his order.

"Look at me, Avatar." He said softly, his rough fingers squeezing her chin.

Korra winced at the pain, staring up at him with wide, fearful eyes. She couldn't breathe. It was unnerving looking back at him. He narrowed his eyes at her. She felt a shiver pass through her, even though the sun was beating down her.

"Although it would be the simplest thing for me to take away your bending right now, I won't." He said.

Korra eyes were downcast again, her lips trembling as a sense of relief poured over her.

"You understand the current predicament we are in. You also understand we need to get away from here," he continued.

"And you will get us out of here, young Avatar-" He jerked her chin up again and she was once again forced to gaze at the mask "just as _you_ bought us here"

"I-I didn't do this!" Korra finally replied, trying to sound confident, but her voice wavered, betraying her terror.

"No, you did. The Avatar holds a strong connection to the spirit world, and any actions the spirits implement into the human world are often a direct result from the Avatar's lack of interference. Your downfall has lead us into this situation." He let go of her chin. "Unless you want to face dire consequences, I suggest you hold off on your bending for now. It won't get you anywhere."

Korra felt the movement in her limbs return, but she remained in her position. If she tried to bend again, he wouldn't hesitate to take her bending away. But she really did have no idea how they ended up here, and every passing moment filled her with a growing sense of unease. She had no connection to her spiritual side, and had never entered the spirit world before. Moreover, this place seemed nothing like the descriptions she had heard about.

"I think it's best we start making our way back now." Said Amon as he turned on his heel and began walking away from the shoreline "Well, Avatar?"

Korra got up, shuffling her feet through the sand. This was humiliating. What she really felt like doing was to leave him here in this forsaken place. She would find the way back somehow. He could rot here for all she cared. Korra trudged behind him, keeping a distance between each other.

"I don't know how-"

"You take the lead. You'll know where the portal to the human world is located."

Korra wanted to whack that stupid mask off his face. _No, I don't know where it's located!_ Why did he expect her know? If she didn't know any better, he was probably goading her into attacking him again, an excuse to take her bending away. Whatever it was, it was clearly working. She wanted to shoot a blaze of fire at him. Korra marched pass him, looking straight ahead.

"Try to walk with a level-head, Avatar. If you can, that is."

Korra clenched her fists by her sides. She felt like yelling at him for his condescending tone! She was sorely tempted to blast fire from her hands right about now and vaporize him on the spot.

Oh spirits, this was going to be one agonizing trip.

-:-

 


	9. Cooperation and Memories

-:-

The blazing sun shone high above the sandy shores in the deep blue sky. It's fiery, saffron beams filtered through the clouds and splayed across the calm sea and over the empty lands. Apart from the faint cries of the birds and gentle sway of the sea's currents, the entire site was hushed and silent. The place held an ominous depth of the unknown in it.

Korra held a hand up to her face, shielding it from the sun's sweltering rays of heat. Her feet hurt with every step she took now and her mouth felt parched and dry from the lack of water. She had been staring at nothing but grey sand for what had felt like hours while walking along the shore. She had not uttered a single word the whole time, or even spared a glance behind her. Maybe it was the heat mingled with her thirst and, just recently, growing hunger, but Korra was debating to whether to just bury herself under the sand or jump into the waters. At least it would take her somewhere else, well, the sea anyway. Her mood was turning sour by every passing moment.

No sign of anything resembling a portal so far. And that was the thing. She had absolutely no idea what this portal looked like, and moreover, did not know _where_ it was. This mindless walking was becoming some pointless exercise instead. Never mind that this little 'trip' felt more of an adventure now. It felt like the spirits were playing a cruel joke on her, forcing her to trek along with _him_.

If she listened closely, she could hear the soft movement of sand behind her, suggesting he was still right there behind her, a couple of meters away. She had thought about running away as far as possible quite a few times now. But he continued to follow her, silent as tiger shark hunting its prey. Korra thought he would have become tired or bored of following her lead by now. It was obvious she was going nowhere; _he just doesn't give up, does he?_

She clenched her hands into fists again. He knew very well that she didn't know where the portal was. He _knew_ she had very little experience with all this spiritual stuff. Then why was he ordering her to find it instead?! She was absolutely furious with him. The urge to just throw him into the deep pits of the sea or bend another boulder at him was becoming strong. If she could airbend, she would even blast some air at him and send him flying across the other side, just like she had watched Ikki and Meelo do to Tenzin when they practiced with him.

But Korra remained cautious. She hadn't even tried to catch fish from the sea to cook and eat. His looming threat still remained in her head. He could take away her bending anytime he wanted. It would be done quickly and without warning, just like he had done to that criminal during his rally. She shuddered at the memory. It was best she keep her distance for that reason and not let her guard down. She would never know when he would strike, probably when she was in a vulnerable position to begin with. But she would be out of this place soon anyway, the portal could not be too far by now...

* * *

It was sometime during her plans to come up with ways to get rid of Amon, each more creative than the last, that she noticed the change in environment around her. There were more large rocks across the plane, along with shrubs and other plants. However the biggest change was the trees. They grew in numbers as she went past. The atmosphere had changed too, with a rich, distinct scent of pine and damp bark permeating the air. The beach had all but disappeared now as she got closer to the edge of a lush forest, the snowy tops of a mountainous terrain showing in the distance. She entered through the forest, feeling an immediate sense of calm from its cool canopy layer. Insects hummed and chirped around the foliage, with small birds twittering around their nests high up in the treetops.

Korra felt the pangs of hunger in her stomach. She wrapped her arms around her middle, trying not to think of the mouth-watering taste of succulent water tribe food. This was bad. She had to eat something right now or else she would faint from the hunger. The dense forest had to have some food. But first, she had to get to the bottom of this whole portal business. She could very well ask a few questions by now. Korra stopped in her tracks and leaned down against a sturdy tree, resting her head to the side. There was a slight breeze in the air, providing relief from the heat before.

Amon stood in the middle of the path in front of her, his boots in her line of vision. He had not expressed even the slightest signs of exertion. And here she was, tired and hungry. How would she be able to defend herself and fight against him if he tried something?

"What are you playing at?" Korra asked him. Even though she had taken deep breaths to steady herself, her voice still faltered a little.

"I would be asking you the same question, Avatar."

"I don't know anything about this portal or where it is." Her voice came out small. What was wrong with her? She was finding it difficult to even talk to him now. She had to stay strong about confronting him! "Look, I don't want to lead, you can do it instead."

Korra stood up, placing her hand against the tree trunk. "And besides, I think you know where it is. Don't mess around with me like this..." Her voice trailed off as she felt her hands shaking. _I'm just tired_ , she tried to convince herself.

"Very well," he replied, his tone nonchalant.

His short, clipped responses were riling her up again.

"Why are you talking to me like this? If you find me that unbearable, be on your own way!" said Korra, finally finding her voice again. It was a lot easier to deal with anger than fear. "You haven't been of any help this whole time." She began to walk away "I'll find the way out of here on my own."

"You asked me If I could lead, did you not?"

"Yes I did. But that doesn't matter anymore, we're parting ways from here anyway."

"That was said afterwards. I think it's fair to say you co-operate on my terms now, Avatar." He said, sauntering towards her.

Korra glared back at him, unable to say anything. He had her right where he wanted. Weak, vulnerable, defenseless. He knew she wouldn't try to fight or attack him again. She began to back into the tree as he got closer.

"Your title doesn't merit your abilities, or lack thereof. You've proven to be quite useless so far." He stopped right in front of her. "Do you understand your responsibilities even now, Avatar?"

"Stop..." Korra turned away from him, her vision blurring over with unshed tears. His words stung her. She felt like her head was going to burst from all this mental pressure. He was probably just messing with her again, trying to make her feel bad for everything that had happened. It didn't matter what he said! She was just trapped in a hopeless situation with her enemy; his opinion shouldn't have any say over her. She wasn't going to let him torment her with guilt; she had gotten enough of that already. Korra wiped the back of her hand across her eyes.

Amon began to walk forward again at a leisured pace. Korra dawdled behind him, until he motioned for her to his side. She had to stay strong. She could not let him get to her. And she just really wished to escape from this place now. Their trek continued deep into the forest, the foliage becoming denser. Twigs snapped under her feet with every passing step, the air becoming damper than before. It was a very different environment from what she was used to in the South Pole.

-:-

She had to step around carefully as the course became more prominent with rocks. A stream of water appeared along their path, running through the rocks. It seemed to have come down from the mountains and looked quite clean. Without any hesitation, Korra knelt down and cupped the water into her hands. She bought the cool liquid to her lips, feeling it soothe her dry and aching throat. She continued to drink the water and splashed some on her face and neck and felt thankful for its refreshing properties.

Korra glanced around the site, checking for any type of edible food. Her eyes landed on a couple of moon peaches hanging from a bush. They looked ripe enough. She got up and crossed over to the other side of the stream, and sat down near the bush. Plucking one of the fruits off, she took a bite out of it. It was delicious. She continued to eat the sweet goodness, savouring its taste in her mouth. Korra reached up to pluck another one off, until she remembered she wasn't alone. She had a habit of getting lost in her food.

Amon was still standing on the other side of the stream, his posture cool and composed. He had not attempted to drink the water, or given any hint to eat something. Should she ask him? _He can manage on his own_. They had gone a whole day without any food; surely he'd also be hungry by now. Whatever, that was his problem.

Korra shifted her gaze away from him, biting into her second helping of moon peach. She was relaxed, and did not feel as threatened by him, mask and all. He had not attempted to do or say anything, and let her keep her distance. He might not be some faceless dark spirit beneath the mask, _maybe_. But then she remembered his words, and retracted her statement. Besides, anyone else in his place would behave the same way; after all, they were forced to be together in an extreme situation from which they both wanted to escape from. Korra yawned and stretched her arms out when she noticed he was standing behind her. When had he crossed over? She heard no sound at all.

"Turn around."

What? Oh, right. Korra faced her back towards him, finishing off her moon peach. Well, they were alone; he didn't have to wear the mask anymore. Or he might just be very conscious about the scars, they must be really bad. Though that didn't matter to her, she would not say anything mean or hurtful about it.

"And don't look."

"Sure." Korra replied.

A little while later, they were back on the path again. No words or comments were exchanged once again, just the natural sounds of the forest ringing through the air.

-:-

Twinkling stars began to appear in the sky as the sun sunk low over the horizon. The sky was painted in colours of deep orange and indigo, with the slight breeze carrying the scent of earth and wood smoke. The treetops swayed from the light wind as the distant hoot of an owlcat was heard.

Amon approached a small clearing in the middle. It was surrounded by towering trees, shielding it from the rest of the forest. The ground was uneven and covered in loose leaf debris, but it would provide enough cover and safety from the rest of the forest for the night.

"We rest here," he said, setting himself down, his back against the broad tree.

Korra ambled towards the other side of the clearing, away from him as far as possible. He had denied her request to start a fire. Lying on the ground, she tried to ignore the rustling of leaves under her. She tossed and turned on the ground, trying to find a comfortable position. Finally, she settled for her side, facing the base of the tree and using her arm as a pillow. She couldn't sleep. There were too many distractions in the forest, from the creaking sounds of the tree branches and chirping of the cricketflies. She huffed, feeling a hanging moss vine tickle her cheek.

She let her thoughts wander. This whole situation was bizarre. Being stuck with her enemy, traveling through a strange, unfamiliar forest, eating moon peaches in quiet company. She lazily traced the patterns of the tree bark with her finger as the moonlight streamed into the clearing. How long before they find the portal? She couldn't fathom spending another day with him. What if they don't find it at all and they were stuck here forever, forced to be in each others company for an eternity? She would be on her own way before _that_ happened. She looked up at the night sky. Dark clouds were moving in, occasionally passing over the moon.

Korra chewed her bottom lip, watching the gentle sway of the branches overhead. She thought about other things, like the time she first learned how to go penguin sledging, the White Lotus guards scolding her for destroying the training ground with the earth bending discs, or hearing Katara's adventures with her previous incarnation, around a bowl of sea prunes, her mother trying to give her a bath, frantically chasing her around the hut...

She felt her chest constrict with the sudden out pour of emotions. A lone tear escaped her eye. She missed everyone so much. She missed Naga's warm comfort, her mother's kind smile, Tenzin and the airbender kids, her mentors, and even Riya. Her heart ached for their company and the reassurance they gave that they would always be with her. The hot tears were pouring more freely down her face. She never thought she would miss the presence of someone so much. But here in this unknown place with only someone from her worst nightmares for company, she felt the loneliness tenfold.

Korra felt the tears continuously stream down her face into the night, shivering from the cold as she wrapped her arms around herself to generate warmth. It was a while before the exhaustion finally overtook her and she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

 -:-


	10. Flames and Introspection

-:-

The night was dark and serene as the luminous moon gleamed through the clouds. The bright star of Shiriusu shone in the pitch darkness of the sky. Most forms of life had retreated for the night, with only the soft crow of an owldove resonate throughout the clearing every once in a while. The light breeze continued to gently sway the trees branches and moss vines, the motions disrupting the fall of leaves and undergrowth. There was an eerie stillness in the forest, almost sinister.

Sleep had yet to befall on the Equalist leader, his mind still wide awake and focused on too many thoughts. Amon shifted his position and leaned his head back against the tree. It was becoming very difficult for him to assess his current dilemma. This was something he had never prepared himself or anticipated for. It had appeared out of thin air, without any forewarning.

He had not even questioned the whole purpose of this incident, knowing the answer would not appease him. Whatever the reasons were for this strange occurrence, they did not have to be explained in any way, shape of form. No, he did not want to know. Throughout the past couple of decades of his life, he had studied and acquired a lot of knowledge concerning many facets of human life, from the scientific analysis of the human body to an in depth study of the political workings in the world. However the spirit world and every related aspect had never concerned him. Although he understood the general facts, it had never proven itself to be useful in any way.

This was not the human world. But there was something about this place which did not quite fit into the categories of the spirit world either. There had being no sighting of any humans all day, or spirits for that matter. The most important thing right now however, was to locate the portal. The quicker it was found, the least amount of time they would spend here. He had duties and responsibilities to attend to. As far as his absence was concerned, it would not be questioned for at least a couple of days. He often left to attend field work for days on end. The avatar's absence however, would most likely be noticed quite early. It was best they escape this mess as soon as possible, and by his calculations, it should not be too long.

His gaze drifted towards the unconscious figure of the Avatar. She had fallen asleep some moments ago. It had come to him as a surprise at first when he heard low cries and muffled sobs coming from her direction. Her usual hot headed and reckless temperament did not hint at partaking with such affairs. However, it made sense considering her overall demeanor. She was always so willing to give into her emotions before any thought processes. They clouded her judgment, which was why it led her astray so often. She was reckless and foolhardy, her actions putting others in danger.

He was not adept at dealing with emotions. It was a part of him he had shut down long ago along with his previous identity. He chose to ignore any ounce of emotion, and most of all, almost never let it influence his decisions. Feelings interfered with logic and rational thinking. They would not allow his plans to follow through. This exterior he had crafted around himself had proven to be quite impressionable so far. No one dared to provoke him or question his authority.

The night was very still now, with no sound or movement coming from any direction. Even the slight wind had stopped. The environment around him was almost indecipherable, the outlines of the trees barely visible. Amon stood up and paced around the clearing. He threw furtive glances around the area and scanned the openings between the trees, staying on guard. It was an unknown place, and any creatures could be lurking in the shadows, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. They had encountered nothing of the sort during the day, or witnessed anything out of place or unusual. These lands bared the same resemblance to the forests and shores in the human world.

_Snap_

Amon followed the path of the sudden noise. It was from the far side to his left, outside the clearing. He listened more closely, and waited. Once again, there were no movements. Slowly, and very carefully, he approached the edge of the clearing. There was nothing. He reasoned it may have been a stray animal, or a creature lost from its pack that might have once resided here. He stood there for a couple of more minutes, discerning other possible sources of the sound. He cast a glance around the place one more time before retreating.

The Avatar's shifting form caught his eye as he was about to settle back into his spot. He approached her, making out the faint blue of her tunic. The Avatar was still fast asleep, though he felt the slight, quivering movements of her limbs. She was cold. Amon pondered over the matter. One of the few advantages blood bending had allowed was being able to control and regulate body temperature, to an extent. If she had not being so dependent on her bending, she would have known how to start a fire the proper way. Did she realize even now there were people who endure this every night? They did not have these _privileges_ and had to fend for themselves, work for it with their bare hands. It applied to almost every aspect of their lives.

He knelt down beside her. It had not being too difficult to discern the identity of the avatar. The rapid beating of her heart and nervous, shifty behaviour had given her away during the chi-blocking session. He had observed the class's reaction as the word was mentioned, taking note of each student. She stood out from the rest. It had not surprised him the very least, and only reaffirmed his previous doubts about her. A quick follow up with the professional training studio mentioned on her false documents confirmed her identity.

He had immediately dispatched extra numbers of his Equalists into the tunnels. They were not told as to why they had to patrol all entrances in the tunnels, though most of them related it to the current events taking place in the city. But he had underestimated her, and only just caught her exit through the trapdoor as he stepped off the trolley, returning from a business meeting with Hiroshi Sato. He wasted no time then to track her down. He had planned to capture the Avatar and set her as an example of his power to the rest of the world. And he still intended to carry it out, as soon as they returned to the human world. She would not escape from him again. He would not underestimate her again.

Amon reached a hand out towards her forehead. He could end everything right now, cleanse away the impurity. Rip out the very essence of her being. _Destroy her_. But it was too soon. He was going to savor the moment, relish in her humiliation and defeat in front of thousands of people. She was going to be the ultimate symbol of the revolution, an example to all.

He placed his palm against her forehead, her skin cold to touch. She shivered from the cold again. _Let her suffer_. Though he could not risk her getting ill at this time, the situation would only be a lot more troublesome. There would be many more occasions for her to experience suffrage. Amon channeled his energy through her chi paths, focusing on the flow of blood through the blood vessels, and altered the temperature. A soft sigh escaped her lips. He snatched his hand away as though it had being electrocuted.

In a daze, Amon promptly returned to his place. He willed himself to sleep. It was the only way he could escape the torments of life, if only for a moment. Life was harsh, cruel and unfair. The world did not cater to the needs of the less unfortunate. It was built for the certain, privileged members of society, most of them benders. Too many people like his scum of a father took advantage of it for their own gain. The rest of them were _weak_ and could not defend themselves. They needed protection, and he was there to provide it. It was the only way the oppressive act of bending could be eradicated.

* * *

The early morning mist began to clear away as the sun cast pink and orange in the skies, the glow seeping over the horizon. The sun's rays washed over the awakening forest, shining over the leaves and lighting up every blade of dewy grass. The usual routine of the awaking dawn began with the drone of insects buzzing. Gradually, the forest came back to life with the echoes of its inhabitants in the cold morning air. Towering pine trees emitted long shadows across the needle covered ground and into the clearing.

After a short and hasty breakfast of berries and water from a nearby pond, Korra resumed her search with the Equalist leader. It felt like they were getting close, the portal could not be too far by now. Korra suddenly remembered one of her mentor's teaching about the spirit world exits, something about being located in dense, hidden locations, away from open view. They were definitely in a hidden place, and it sure was crowded. She looked up at Amon in front of her. She was surprised he knew this, it wasn't something she expected a revolution's leader to have knowledge about.

Their trek continued into the late afternoon. By now they were in the deep recesses of the forest. Twisted, gnarly trees covered their path, their branches entwined with one another. The damp ground was littered with twigs and leaves, scrunching under her feet with every step. They soon approached another clearing, though it was slightly larger than the previous once. The ground was also more gravelly, with a few patches of grass scattered around.

The air was chilly again, just like the previous day. Korra settled against a fallen log, thinking of how she was going to handle this. She did not want to freeze into an ice block again, though she had felt rather warm and comfortable when she awoke. She glared at Amon out the corner of her eyes. The impulse to lash out in rebellion was strong. Kick some flames at him; knock him into the opposite tree, anything really, just to slap some sense into his mind. He would not even allow her to use her bending for a practical matter.

Korra crossed her arms over her chest when she noticed him looking at her. She did not want to get sick, didn't he understand that? She didn't know how he remained unaffected by the cold, but he could at least allow her this little act of freedom. She had not used her bending the whole time and had followed his lead too. A rightful punch to the face is what he really needed. The nerve of him to just _control_ her! Oh, she was _beyond_ just angry right now. So much in fact, she did not notice the steam wafting off of her head.

"No bending, Avatar."

Korra stood up, her hands clenched by her sides. Her feet were grinding into the coarse earth below as she stared back at him, standing her ground. He did not seem threatening at the moment, and it suppressed her fear for the time being.

"I'm not bending!"

She kicked a pile of rocks towards his direction, though not at him. He merely continued to watch her from where he sat; his demeanor calm and relaxed. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths, trying to regain control of herself. _One, two, three_. Exhaling, she opened her eyes again.

"Unless you want me to freeze to death, let me start a fire." Korra smoothed her hair away from her eyes, looking around the site for fallen tree branches and sticks. On second thoughts, he probably _did_ want her freezing to death...

"Go ahead, I won't stop you."

"Wait, really?"

"Really."

Without further ado, Korra scrambled around the area, collecting the items needed. He seemed to have given her permission quite easily. But he couldn't stop her now if he changed his mind. Korra ambled to her spot and dug out some earth, and placed rocks around its perimeter, forming a ring. Inside it, she spread out the tinder of sticks and branches. Dropping the last twig into the pile, she held her hand above it as a flicker of flames appeared. She watched the ball of flame with glee. It was great to feel its warmth in her hand again.

"I think you misheard me, avatar. Should I repeat what I said for you?"

Korra whirled around at him. What was his problem _now_?! He felt like an annoying spiderfly that wouldn't leave her alone.

"No, you don't need to repeat anything; I perfectly heard what you said." She faced the heap of twigs again, flames dancing in her hand. The sun was setting now, its rays of light quickly diminishing.

"I'll repeat myself again. No bending."

Alright, this was getting ridiculous now. He was getting on her nerves. He could turn around and face the tree for all she cared if he didn't want to witness the _atrocious_ act of bending. And besides, how was she supposed to start a fire without her bending to ignite it first?

"You just said that I could start a fire." Her control was slipping again.

"Then do so. Here." There was a flurry of movement from across the spacious clearing.

Korra looked down at the rocks thrown at her feet. The same ones she had thrown towards him before. Great, this was going to take ages. Glaring at him once more, she snuffed the flame from her hand, and knelt down to pick up some rocks. An inexplicable urge came over her to aim the rocks straight at the giant red dot on his mask. It was a beautiful idea. She flickered her gaze at him as she held the rocks.

"Don't."

How she wished it would play out in real life. _One day_. She sat near the pile of wood, her hands poised to strike the rocks together. How was it done again? She recalled memories of her father starting the fire to roast an arctic seal on her birthday.

_Strike_ nothing happened. _Strike_ There was a small spark, though nothing again. Her hands struck the rocks together several times, but to no avail. It was frustrating.

"Alright fire, start now or else!"

This was not easy as she had seen her father do so effortlessly. Korra kept trying, all the while not looking in his direction. He was probably feeling so smug right now. She was not going to ask him to do it, he had humiliated her enough already.

Amon observed her attempts to start the fire. One of the first things he had noticed when he fought with her during the combat exam was her willingness to not give up. She gave her all in whatever she did with a fiery determination. It would have being quite admirable, had she not being misguided with false beliefs.

The flames finally shimmered to life.

Korra sliced the air with her hand. " _Yes_!"

It was an accomplishment. And she felt so good about it. In that moment, Korra realized something about her bending. It was easy to do something with a flick of a wrist, but this was different. Somehow, it felt more personal. But bending felt like that too. It was hard to describe what this feeling was, actually working with her hands, but it made her feel elated.

* * *

_Five days_. Five days since washing ashore into this world. And five _long_ days in the search for the portal. They had explored through every corner and crevice of the forest by now, but their efforts had yielded no results. Neither of them could stand much longer in the forest, and the palpable sense of desperation was thick in the air. The forest's territory had remained quite static since they passed half way through, though the mountains were much more visible over the horizon. And all throughout, very few words had been exchanged between the avatar and Equalist leader, as they preferred to keep to themselves.

Korra strode forward along the narrow path. Her spirits were very low right now. She almost had no energy left to keep going. It was just supposed to be a short search. But it had extended into something much greater. She didn't even know why she kept going forward, except maybe for the small voice inside her that said there was hope, however small the chance.

Her muscles were tired and aching, and she missed eating real food. _When is this going to end?_ Moss vines snagged through her hair and clothes, and pine needles poked and scratched at her skin. Her clothes were smeared in dirt and twice, she had stepped into a pool of murky water, the slime clinging to her mukluks. _I'm filthy._ She really needed a wash right now, but finding the portal had become the only priority.

Amon stepped over a fairly large tree root. Time was running out. Nothing was going according to plan. He tried to remember anything specific he had read about the gateways into the human world. There might have been a detail he had missed. But nothing came to mind. Everything was becoming chaotic. They had found no leads or signs to a portal. This search was _never_ to last this long. The situation was becoming hopeless. There had to be another way out of here, and fast.

They continued on the path, which now began to swerve in different directions, the ground somewhat unbalanced. A slight, rocky hilltop appeared in the way. It was the only way to enter the other side.

Korra trudged up the hill, holding the tree branches as support while Amon pulled himself over, his back to her. There was very little sunlight in this area, the high canopy of the trees covering most of the sun's rays. It was kind of hard to see, the trees obscured her view and the dirt felt too loose under her feet. Korra reached out a hand to grab a slim tree trunk. _Just a little more_ -

She lost her footing on a stray rock. Korra felt herself slip backward, and out of instinct, grabbed the nearest thing she could. But there was nothing in front of her to hold onto. With a yelp, she tumbled down the hill, gathering more twigs and leaves in her hair. _I suppose the sparrowkeet might as well make it its home now_.

Korra lay at the bottom, staring high up into the sliver of sunlight peeking through the canopy layer. She could feel a light stinging sensation on her shoulder. Maybe she should think about her life choices right now. Spirits, it could not get any worse than this.

"Your stance has improved considerably well, Avatar."

She glowered up at him, yanking out the broken twigs from her hair. She could almost _feel_ the smugness in his sarcastic tone.

"I'll show you improvement," she snapped at him as she got up, brushing off the dirt. What a sight she must be right now.

Amon faced towards the front again, hands behind his back. "Hurry up; I believe there may be something of interest here."

Curious, Korra made her way back up the hill, very carefully this time. Finally reaching the top, she steadied herself against the tree trunk.

And gasped at the sight before her.

 -:-


	11. The Blue Dress

-:-

Located in the heart of a lush green valley were numerous small buildings and huts, closely built and surrounded by a tall wooden fence post. It appeared to be a humble village by its size, with puffs of smoke rising from the stone chimneys of the dwellings. Snow topped mountains surrounded the valley, and trailed off into the horizon.

Korra was surprised to say the least as it was the first sign of civilization. She had not come across anything like this before, and after spending days surrounded with nothing but trees, dirt and more trees, it was a refreshing view. She was quite sick of the forest by now, not to mention highly irritated about not finding the portal. But here was a place where she might finally get answers and even better, know how to get out of this place. Soon, this would all just become the remnants of a long lost memory, something she would never have to remember again.

Amon took a step forward to head down the rocky hill, and she followed suit, being more careful not to make an embarrassing scene of herself again by tripping or falling over.

Once at the bottom of the hill, they entered through a trail in the valley's meadow, the long blades of grass grazing their knees. Korra held her tongue to keep from yelping out in pain from the sharp, scratchy grass. She was surely going to sport a lot of cuts on her legs now too. She continued to move forward, using her arms to push aside the grass and plants in her way. Clouds were rolling in now, encasing the sun and casting a shade against the snow topped mountains and over the whole valley.

They continued to trudge through the grass, getting closer to their destination. Sounds of laughter and general commotion could be heard now from the direction of the village, but there was no one in sight. What if she was about walk right into a ghost town? Well, there was only one way to find out, and besides she would be up for a fight if anything happened.

The trail had come to an end as Korra stepped over the last stalks of grass. She glanced across the large clearing to the tall wooden fence at the other side. No one was outside to guard the gates, which were currently shut. In fact, if it were not for the noises coming from the other side of the fence, she would never have known there was anyone here at all. The ground beneath her was worn and smooth, with tracks covering the area.

They reached the edge of the fence, and stopped near the large wooden gates.

She could hear more distinctive sounds now, of a woman scolding her child, a cart being towed and water splashing against the pavement. Yep, there were definitely people living here, it was not some deserted ghost town after all. She wandered over to stand directly in front of the gate, noting the intricate design on its metal handles and latch. She raised a hand, about to lift the latch to knock.

"Wait."

It had become a tendency to not acknowledge Amon's existence and simply shut him out from her mind, and so she was still startled to hear his voice. He came up to her, moving her out the way of the entrance. Korra opened her mouth to retort but he cut her off.

"Before we enter through those gates, there are a couple of things to understand, Avatar." He held her gaze evenly. "Keep your title to yourself, there's no reason to mention it to anyone." The latch was in his hand now. "And I think you can manage to keep a level head this time, don't you think?" His hand struck the metal latch against the wood, the dull noise echoing through the air.

"As much as you crave attention, you don't need to expect that from anyone here." Amon continued in a callous tone.

She wanted to wrap her hands around his neck and strangle him. How dare he just say something like that so easily! Being the Avatar was who she was; it did not concern him if someone was to know that. Maybe he should be the one trying to keep a level-head if that irked him so much. And he would get all the attention he wants with that horrific mask anyway, he should not have to worry about her getting in the way. He was always so infuriating. He was frightening too, yes, but spirits, his annoyance was also maddening. She would give him a piece of her mind.

"Hey-"

Korra could not finish her sentence as the gates began to open to the inside, its heavy weight making it creak and groan. Slowly, each side of the gate revealed the quaint village inside.

The scene that greeted them was not exactly what they had expected.

People were going about their daily routines, collecting food from the marketplace, peddlers setting up tents to sell items and discussing the latest gossip amongst each other. But a closer look revealed something else too. A short, transparent woman in pale blue robes was selling fruits and bread to a human boy from a cart, a fierce looking lion dog spirit chased a tabby cat around the fountain, and a group of aged human men and baboon spirits were playing a game of Pai Sho under the generous shade of a tree, taking sips from their cup of tea.

Both humans _and_ spirits were residing here!

Korra gaped at what she was seeing. _How is this possible!?_ Spirits and humans only lived in different realms, separate from one another. But here they were, right in front of her, and they seemed to be living together in harmony. There wasn't any way to explain this. Gosh, this was messing around with her head. She stood near the entrance, trying to comprehend what was happening around her. A sidelong glance at Amon told her that he too, was in denial. His hands were slack by his sides, and he had not attempted to move forward either.

 _Now what?_ Right, ask someone about the portal, but who to ask exactly? This had all seemed so easy in her mind, but it had become a whole other matter now.

Korra was debating to whether ask one of the peddlers for information, when she heard someone addressing her.

"Hello there, humans!"

Korra and Amon turned at the voice. A graceful pelican-swan spirit swayed towards them, ruffling her feathers. She wore a diadem on her head.

"This is very exciting; there haven't been any new humans to visit our village in a long time!" The pelican-swan continued in a keen voice.

Suddenly, the air became very quiet as the village's residents stopped what they were doing. Korra stood still and wide-eyed, not sure what to do as they stared in her direction.

"New humans?"

"It's been a long time!"

"Look at them, fresh from the other world!"

Both spirits and humans approached her and Amon, encircling them and asking a barrage of questions. The atmosphere was full of excitement and delight.

Korra staggered back from the crowd gathered around her.

_This is definitely not how things were supposed to go._

"Give them some space everyone"

The pelican-swan spirit hushed the villagers and addressed her again as the crowd retreated, whispering among each other.

"Apologies for that, I should have been more discreet," she said with a small laugh.

"It's okay, I was just surprised." Korra replied as she held her arm self-consciously. She wasn't one to worry over appearances, but right now, with her unkempt hair and soiled clothes, she felt a little more uncomfortable. However, she had important questions to ask, the whole reason she was here in the first place. "I have some questions-"

"Ask anything you want later, and I'm sure you have quite a few urgent matters to discuss. But first, in honour for your visit to our little village-"the pelican-swan spirit adjusted her diadem. "You and your friend are invited to have dinner with the chief and his family this evening," she beamed at them.

Korra hooked a finger towards Amon "Oh, I think you're mistaken, he's _not_ my friend." For good measure, she grimaced at him and crossed her arms. He stood still and silent as ever, and had not uttered a single word.

"Whatever it is, you both waltzed right into our village as guests," said the pelican-swan spirit. "And how could I forget to tell you my name," she fluttered her wings; "My name is Ming."

"Nice to meet you, Ming," said Korra.

Ming gasped "I'm getting late! There are preparations to be made. Aki here will help you to your quarters where you can tidy up. I will see you again this evening at dinner!"

A young human woman approached them, and with a bow, Ming flapped her wings and flew away to the other side of the village.

* * *

Korra splashed a bucket of warm water over herself, washing away the soap lathered on her limbs. _This is great_. She had been sitting in the wooden bath tub for over half an hour by now, washing herself and playing around with the water and different scented soaps. Sighing, Korra leaned her head back against the wall. After days of being covered in dirt and sweat, it felt like she was taking a bath for the first time. But there was a dinner to attend soon. Getting out of the tub, she dried herself off with a thick, fluffy towel as she entered the room.

It was a nice change to be treated this way, and it was certainly much more than she had bargained for. Amon had been lead to different quarters, and after she came into this room, her clothes had been sent away to be mended and washed, which she would get back later. The village folks had being very kind so far, allowing her these luxuries. They didn't even know her identity, and yet she still held their interest. Not that she always thrived on that sort of stuff, but this was a pleasant turn of events.

Korra wrapped the towel around her body and looked out the small window. It was a spectacular view, with the hazy clouds and burnished light of the sunset peeking over the mountains. A movement caught her eye in the field. Someone, or rather something, was withdrawing into the trees lining the base of the mountains, slowly, and very deliberately. _What is that?_

She was startled by a knock at the door. Hurrying over, she cracked the door open. It was Aki, carrying dresses in her arms.

"Hello Miss, just dropping these by. I will escort you to the chief's place along with your friend, who might I add has finished dressing and is waiting for you," said Aki

"He's not my-never mind, I'll be ready soon," Korra replied as Aki placed the dresses on the bed. She might as well play along and just pretend Amon was her _friend_. It was easier that way for the time being.

Aki soon left the room as Korra went over to the bed. She held up each dress in her hands, trying to make her mind up about which one to wear. None of them were her type, and they all had sleeves.

She held up the bright green one with flowing, satin sleeves, _too fancy._ The dark red one had jewels and sequins sewn into the hem, _way too fancy._ The pale yellow one had flowing sleeves and trailed onto the ground, _nope, not practical_.

Korra settled for the deep blue one with silver embroidery around its collar. Its sleeves weren't too long and it was simple enough. In fact, it was similar to what she would have worn back home in the South Pole at the winter solstice festival. She bit her lip as her eyes brimmed with tears. _No, not right now._

-:-

Aki held Korra's arm as she lead her through the village square, gushing over how she looked.

"I have to say, Miss, you look absolutely gorgeous. The blue really suits you,"

Korra mumbled a thank you, smoothing out the hair she had left out, except for the two ponytails at front. She actually felt quite nervous right now, not knowing what to expect once she got there. She had not yet disclosed her identity as the Avatar, wondering if it was a good thing or not if she did.

According to Aki, Amon had already left after waiting too long for her.

Korra clutched the dress in her hands to step over a puddle, being careful not to get mud on the dainty slippers. This was why she hardly ever wore stuff like this; it limited her movements and slowed her down. It did feel nice to wear a dress every now and then, but for the most part, her mukluks and pants were the go-to attire.

They soon reached a two story stone building with a long, sweeping roof. Aki unlocked the door and they entered through. The interior was anything you would expect from a chief's household, with heavy, cast iron pots and wax candles placed on stands, brass decorations hanging from the walls, and multitudes of colorful rugs placed onto the floor. She followed the woman into the house.

Korra heard the soft tapping of her shoes on the polished floor as they passed more decorations and closed doors through the corridor.

"After you." Said Aki once they were near the curtained entrance of what she assumed was the dining room.

Korra gulped as her hand pushed the heavy curtain aside. _Ugh, why am I so nervous?_

-:-

The Equalist leader shifted his gaze over to the wall clock. He had arrived here over fifteen minutes ago and the Avatar had still not made her _grand_ appearance. Tardiness should be added to her list of traits as well now.

This was the perfect opportunity for her to flaunt her status and gush over the attention. Just another reason to let everyone know about her title and expect everything goes her way.

However, the chief and his family had not arrived yet either.

He had donned into fresh clothing as his previous ones needed a wash. Although, he did make sure that there was a hood with the robes. He did not want to risk exposing his true identity in front of anyone, especially the avatar herself.

This whole incident so far was another thing he had not prepared himself for.

He had never heard about the co-existence of humans and spirits in one place. There were too many differences between them to be overlooked, but here they were, working together despite whatever challenges they had.

The sooner everything wraps up, the better. He had only agreed to attend this dinner as it meant he would finally receive the answers he had been searching for too long. The village chief would be able to answer any question the Avatar asked him. She would ask whatever it was, and they would be on their way tomorrow morning, or even today, depending on the method of getting back into the human world. This would become the fragment of a long lost memory.

In the meantime, he would finish his dinner and keep to himself. The whole plan had collapsed long ago, and matters did not have to become too complicated from this point. The Avatar could deal with the spirits concerns and happenings, but he was far removed from it all.

He did not want to take part in any of this.

Amon lifted the bottom of his mask to take a sip of water, occupying his mind with thoughts of the revolution, trying to disconnect himself from the present environment. It was quite different from what he was used to in itself, being accustomed to the plain, unchanging colors of his headquarters.

He looked up at the rustling of the curtains as they were parted, and the Avatar step into the dimly-lit room.

He did not know how to explain what it was that passed through him in that fleeting moment. How exactly was he supposed to? How, when there was someone right in front of him wearing a dress that seemed all too familiar? The sight of it had plunged him into the dark abyss of the past, of memories he had hidden away from his life. That dress, his _dear_ mother's dress, to let his eyes fall upon it once again…

His hand tightened on the glass of water. That was a _long_ time ago, it no longer held any meaning, and looking closely, this dress had a different style of embroidery. It was not the same. Nevertheless, he could not bring his gaze up again.

Korra settled herself down in front of the table and looked around, observing the elegant tapestries near the ceilings and candles placed in alcoves. There was a floral scent diffused around the room, possibly from the candles. She glanced around the room, anywhere but at the person sitting opposite of her.

"The chief and his family will be here soon, along with Ming. However, I have to go set up the dinner now. Hope you don't mind the wait," said Aki. Without another word, she left the room.

Korra tried to focus her attention on the porcelain vase in the corner or the patterns in the rug beneath her. It was just the two of them in the room now. _Oh, this is awkward_.

Amon had not acknowledged her presence, and his gaze was focused instead on the cup in his hand. Was she supposed to say something? Yes, they were enemies, who just happened to be having dinner together. But was it kind of rude to not say anything at all? She knew he had never asked for any of this to happen as much as she did, but they had to go along with everything if it meant they would return to the human world.

Her fingers pulled at a silver thread on the dress's sleeve. She had to admit to herself that he had many chances by now to take away her bending, but didn't. Surely, that might hint at something, that maybe there was more to just that cruel, harsh persona of his.

"Uhm, hi?" said Korra, hoping it would elicit some kind of reaction from him.

He looked up, but gave no response.

Korra wracked her brain to think of something else to say. And as a change, something _kind_ for once. Not that it would transform him from a heartless revolutionary leader to a normal guy, but kind words could go a long way. She eyed his outfit, noting he had chosen to wear similar clothes to his usual attire. The creepy mask stayed, of course. She will give him a compliment. Yes, compliments weren't harmful.

"You look…Dark."

Just as the words left her mouth, she realized what horror she had just uttered. Her hands cupped her mouth as her mind reeled. _Dark? What kind of dumb word is that? Who compliments someone with 'dark'? What's wrong with me!?_

She was met with more silence.

Korra willed herself to calm down, and hopelessly looked around the room for any sort of distraction. The silence in the dim room felt stifling as she wished for someone to just enter the room by now. _That's a nice looking lion-turtle statue in the corner, oh hey, nice is a good word, gee I wonder why I couldn't have just said that-_

"Was that supposed to be an insult, Avatar?" Amon's distinct voice broke through the thick atmosphere of the room.

Korra stared wide eyed at him as her hands grasped her ponytails. He was not supposed to take it that way!

"What? No! That's not…That's not what I meant!" Korra said hotly as she hid her face in her hands. Spirits, this was mortifying, acting like this in front of the enemy. _I'm the Avatar this doesn't matter_. But it did, it mattered so much to her right now. She touched her cheek. It was glowing hot.

"You seem at a loss for words, any reason why?"

Korra glanced up at him and straightened her back. He was _not_ going to make her feel worse about this. She had tried to be kind, but he clearly took her words in the wrong way. He was still staring at her, but it was hard to read his expression in the shadows. Korra turned away from him, waiting for someone to enter the room by now. But really, all she wanted to do right now was go hide away in small, confined place where no one would ever find her again. _Let this end, please._

-:-


	12. A Very Water Tribe Dinner

-:-

Korra held the crystal glass of water in her hands and gently swayed it on the table, watching the lazy movements of the clear liquid splash around in the cup. It was tempting to bend the water into some icy spikes to fling at the porcelain vase in the corner of the room, or towards one of the wall hangings at the far side, _or, at someone on the other side of the table_.

She found it difficult to explain why she suddenly felt like this towards him _,_ after her attempts to be somewhat 'nice'. Maybe it was the way he handled the situation earlier, how he so graciously mistook her words. But even that made sense, her lame excuse of a compliment would have caused the same response from anyone. No, it was his whole _reaction_ to the spectacle, the way he just looked at her as if she had commit the most horrible crime, ever.

He made her feel…unsure of herself? Spirits, he wasn't _supposed_ to, she was the Avatar who had other matters to deal with than the attitudes of a masked madman.

Korra pouted as she glanced at the wall clock, placing a hand on her tummy as it rumbled to the time. She almost made the decision to head toward the kitchen herself to satiate the hunger, until the heavy curtains at the entrance were drawn back.

A tall man entered the room, while a young woman and boy followed after. Korra exhaled a sigh, placing her hands on the table in front of her. _Finally, they're here._

"We apologise for taking so long, my wife got caught up in the dinner arrangements. She tends to get carried away sometimes," said the chief as he sat down at the table next to Amon.

"That is _not_ true. Don't listen to him," replied the woman with a laugh " _He_ tends to make a big deal out of everything," she continued, taking a spot at the table next to Korra. The woman was quite beautiful, with dark flowing locks of hair and flawless skin. She wore an elegant, pale blue gown with a white shawl draped across her shoulders.

"Whatever you say, dear wife," the man held his hands up as a mischievous grin graced his features.

Korra felt like she knew him somehow. The deep blue robes trimmed with fur and the animal pelt on his head, it all looked very familiar.

"This is rude of me, I haven't even made the proper introductions yet," he said, pouring himself a glass of water.

"But first, let me ask you this." His gaze shifted towards Korra. "Do you know me?"

"No… I mean, I think I do." Korra answered as she pursed her lips, trying to remember when she had met him, but there was no such encounter in her memories. "Have we met?"

"In a way, yes," he replied.

His clothes, the headdress, even the slight tangy scent of sea salt were all so familiar.

Although it seemed impossible for him to be here…She definitely knew who it was!

"Avatar Kuruk?"

The man gave her a generous smile. "It is an honour to meet you, Avatar Korra."

_That's why he seemed so familiar!_

"It really is you!" exclaimed Korra as she held the edge of the table "It's so great to meet you." Korra found it almost hard to believe that one of her predecessors was living in this village. She already had even more questions to ask.

"I'm glad you are, but here, I am simply known by my name," replied Kuruk. "It is truly an honour for you and your companion to join us for dinner," he continued. "This here is my wife Ummi," Kuruk waved a hand towards the beautiful woman. "And my son, Tulok," he gestured in the direction of a boy who sat at the end of the table, who looked no older than thirteen years of age. The boy had a sullen expression on his face.

"Hi, nice to meet you both," said Korra as she leaned on her hand against the soft rug below her. The woman gave her a warm smile in return.

Korra pondered over something as she studied the woman's features. Was this the very woman whose face had been stolen by the spirit of Koh? Korra knew about the tragic tale of avatar Kuruk and his fiancé, and how she had been pulled into the spirit oasis by an unseen force on the day of their wedding. Kuruk had jumped into the water after her, but could not rescue her in time. Koh had lured Ummi and trapped her forever as punishment for Kuruk's arrogance. Until now, that was, or so it seemed. There were _a lot_ of things to be explained.

Korra turned towards Ummi; "I hope I don't offend you by asking this, but are you…" she trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

"Yes, I am the very same person," Ummi replied as she placed her hand on Korra's arm. "It was very difficult to escape Koh's clutches, but Kuruk never gave up, and finally, with the help of Avatar Aang, I was free once again. On certain conditions, however." There was a faraway look in her eyes.

"We have much to talk about, but let us enjoy the dinner first," Kuruk proclaimed as the curtains parted, with Ming-the pelican-swan spirit and Aki enter the room pushing trolleys, which carried the evening's dinner.

Korra inhaled the delicious scent of the food, _Water Tribe_ food as the dishware was set out on the table. She greeted Ming and Aki as they settled themselves down at the other end of the table.

Without further ado, the lids were lifted off the plates, releasing steam, and to reveal the succulent, Northern and Southern Water Tribe cuisine. There was steamed fish, octopus-squid stew, blubbered seal jerky, seaweed noodles, sea prune stew and even a roasted giant sea crab among many other foods.

Korra's mouth salivated at the range of dishes, and she was unable to decide which items to eat first.

"Please, help yourselves to everything," said Kuruk as he placed a saucer in front of him.

There was a flurry of movement around the table as everyone filled their plates with the food. Korra settled for the octopus-squid stew and seaweed noodles with a cup of lychee juice. She consumed everything in her usual gusto, taking great enjoyment in been able to eat proper food again.

"Korra, please try the sea crab, it's a popular delicacy in the Northern Water Tribe," said Kuruk as he cut off some of the meat onto his plate.

"Sure will," replied Korra.

As Korra filled her plate with second helpings, she let her gaze wander over to where Amon sat. He was almost entirely hidden in the shadows of a cabinet next to him which blocked out the candlelight. He led a pair of chopsticks under his mask, where it was lifted up a few inches. _Ah, so that's how he eats with the thing on._ Korra continued to observe him as she nibbled on a piece of kale cookie.

Amon had not uttered a single word the whole time. He had not even acknowledged anyone in the room, and looking closely at his plate, had only helped himself to meager servings of the food. _He must have a thing against the Water Tribes._ Silent as ever, he ignored everyone around him. It was as though he were emitting those unfriendly vibes, since no one had called for his attention either, and preferred not to look his way. Korra deduced they were only putting up with him because of her.

Sometime later, the now empty plates were stacked back onto the trolleys and taken away.

-:-

"Hey, that reminds me, remember the time when Tulok-" Kuruk began, but was cut off by his son.

"Dad, not right now," he grumbled.

"You were just a baby, Tulok, there's nothing to be embarrassed about, really," said Ummi as she got up to relight the candles in the alcoves, her dress swishing with every step she took "Also, he's just annoyed right now because we made him attend this dinner with us," she continued.

Korra couldn't help but chuckle. They had been talking about the differences in water bending techniques between the two sister tribes, which somehow led to a detailed conversation about the benefits of using kumquats when cooking sea prunes. Korra sipped from her cup of jasmine tea as their idle chat continued. She learnt that Aki was in fact also a spirit, though had acquired a human appearance. Korra had almost spat out her tea from shock after that revelation. Both Aki and Ming were assistant consultants of the village's affairs. Korra took a bite out of her second kale cookie. She loved each moment being spent here, exchanging tales with everyone.

Except for Amon, of course, he continued to stay out of every conversation. Korra thought of how out of place Amon felt as they went on about their cultural specific discussions. He probably didn't have the slightest clue about any of the unique Water Tribe festivals, or how great five-flavor soup tasted. _Sucks for him._ Korra found out that Kuruk was born and raised in the Northern Water Tribe, while Ummi was from the South Pole. They had both retained their cultural roots in this village, which she admired.

Korra finished the last sip of her tea and placed the delicate cup on its saucer. It was time to discuss the important stuff, starting with the most obvious question.

"Where exactly are we?" Korra asked as Aki placed her empty tea cup onto the trolley.

"This place, you mean?" said Kuruk, passing the teapot over to Aki.

"Yeah, I mean I know we're in the spirit world and all, but both humans and spirits are living here. How is that possible?"

"Korra, we are not in the spirit world," Kuruk answered as he placed his hands on the table. "This is the realm _between_ the human and spirit world. A limbo of sorts, if you call it," he continued. "In this realm, humans and spirits can co-exist as it belongs to both. The human and spirit worlds leave their imprint here, and so there are many places which bear the exact resemblance to their counterparts in the other worlds. The keeper of this realm is a spirit called Roshni; she maintains the peace and balance in these lands."

"That's…Wow," said Korra in a hushed tone as she straightened her back. "I've only ever heard stories about this stuff. I never knew it actually existed."

"This realm has existed since the beginning of time, and for the most part of its history, it has been kept a secret from the other worlds," Kuruk continued on. "Some humans know of its existence and choose to live here in their afterlife, while others, like my wife and I, leave the spirit world to start anew here instead. It does mean we cannot go back to either the spirit or human world ever again."

It was a lot to take in whatever she was hearing, though it slowly made her understand the situation more. Earlier, she had recounted the events from waking up on the beach to traveling through the forest, though left out the details about how Amon discovered her true identity back at Republic City, and was thankful when Kuruk did not press on for more information.

"Kuruk, this is all really interesting," said Korra. "But I want to know how we get back to the human world. Is the portal somewhere around here? We looked everywhere in that forest, but found nothing."

"You want to return right now?"

"Well yeah, I mean, don't get me wrong, I would love to stay here longer with you guys. But it's almost been a week since we disappeared from Republic City," said Korra as she propped her elbows up onto the table. "And which reminds me, something weird is going on over there…"

"And you are most welcome to stay longer, but as you're saying, your return is important right now," said Kuruk. "However, that's not what I am concerned about right now."

"Oh…what is it then?"

"Korra, about the portal you are speaking of," said Kuruk as he exchanged a glance with Ummi. "The only portal to get you back into the human world is located in the Northern Mountains, where Roshni herself resides." He paused again. "It is a six month long journey from here to the upper northern lands."

"Five months if you take the short cut," Tulok broke in. The boy had lightened up considerably during the past couple of hours.

"That path is much more dangerous and I don't recommend it at all," Kuruk rebuked.

"Six months..." said Korra, her voice trailing off. She shook her head in disbelief. "And this is the only way?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Kuruk replied. "And it's not an easy path to travel either, during these times in particular. There has been quite a bit of unrest among some of the spirits lately," he continued.

 _Spirits, what had she gotten herself into?_ Korra contemplated over the matter. Now was not the time to worry about the length of the journey. However, there had to be another option. Maybe if she tried to get in touch with her spiritual side, her past lives would be able to help her somehow. Though there was no guarantee about that, not to mention how she had hopelessly failed in connecting with her spiritual side in the past, what evidence was there to suggest it would happen this time? _Try to keep calm, Korra, you'll find another way._ She took a deep breath before she spoke.

"I guess I could stay here a couple of days until there's-"

"We leave tomorrow."

Korra shifted her gaze towards Amon. She was surprised to hear him speak for the first time since the evening, and judging by the sudden quiet atmosphere in the room, so was everyone else. But his words had caught her off guard.

"I'm sorry; but I don't get the whole 'we' part of your statement. I'm not going anywhere with _you_ ," Korra snarled at him.

The air was thick with tension as the other occupants of the room looked away, hoping for the moment to quickly past. Korra continued to glare daggers at Amon, her hands clenched by her sides as she waited for him to respond. He held her gaze, though did not utter another word. She was losing her patience. _Say something dammit!_ His cold, apathetic gaze gave no hint of any sort of veneration for the Avatar. He was not going to agree to her terms.

"Excuse me for a moment," said Korra as she stood up, facing the other way.

Without sparing another glance behind her, she fled from the room, not stopping until she left the household and was outside under the night sky of the village.

* * *

Grey clouds grazed over the crescent moon, blocking out what little light there was and shrouding the valley and mountains in darkness. The village square was silent and desolate, except for the sound of water pouring out of the fountain's statue as it splashed into the surrounding pool.

Korra sat near the fountain's edge, her fingers skimming the surface of the water as she stared into her reflection, watching the ripples distort her face.

Six months. _Six whole months_ before she got back to the human world. It had been so easy before to just pass everything off and not give it much attention, because there was always the reassurance that she would soon return home, that this would just become a tiny, unremarkable snippet of her life. It was a mistake on the spirits part to throw her into this world. But some mistakes were hard to mend, and even harder to just forget about.

Especially one as disastrous as this.

Perhaps it would not have been so bad if she was the only who had washed up on the shore that day. At least that way, she wouldn't have had to worry about the constant threat of her bending being taken. And if there was someone else with her, she would gladly open her arms to welcome anyone, literally _anyone_ other than this monster she was forced to be with.

Korra stood up, pacing around the fountain. Even now, he held control over the choices she made, since he _knew_ she would never want to sacrifice her bending for anything. She could never run away from him, because he would catch her before she even made any attempts. He predicted every move, every step of hers, before she knew of it herself. It was such a disturbing thought…

The sounds of someone's footsteps broke her out of her reverie. She stopped, and listened as the footsteps got closer behind her. It was dark, and it was unusual for someone to be out here at this hour. She was unfamiliar with this place, and really should have just left for her quarters than stay out here.

Out of instinct, flames burst in her hands as she swung around to meet whoever it was.

"Korra, it's me."

Korra heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of Kuruk. She extinguished the flames in her hands as she went up to him. The gloomy clouds had passed over the moon and its light shone down again. She was able to see Kuruk more clearly now in front of her.

"I'm sorry for walking out like that earlier," said Korra.

"It's okay. We all just need some space sometimes," Kuruk replied. He motioned for her to walk with him.

Their footsteps echoed across the cobbled ground below as they passed through the village square, entering the residential area. Korra held her arms together as a slight gust of chilly wind went by.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Korra chewed her bottom lip, unsure of how he was going to react if she told him.

"That man, he's not my friend or companion or anything like that," Korra replied as she lifted her dress off the patch of mud "We are…sworn enemies, in fact, who just happen to be together right now. Not by choice, mind you."

"I know who he is, Korra."

She halted in her steps and looked up at him in surprise. "Really? How do you know?"

"You're forgetting that we share a connection, one which transcends through thousands of years. I am a part of you, just like every other Avatar who came before you."

Korra let out a small laugh. "Of course, how could I forget that?" It felt comforting to be around someone who was able to understand her. "I don't know what to do right now. A part of me says to be on my own way, but I can't exactly just get rid of him, as much as I want to. He will find me and…I'm confused…I…It's hard to even explain, sorry." Korra looked the other way.

"You don't need to apologize, Korra. I understand what you're going through. When Koh took away Ummi from me, I thought I would never see her again. I fought against him for years, and never backed away. Until I realized that fighting against him was never going to bring back the love of my life. I had being too arrogant, and it cost me very much."

They stood at the front of her room, the lamp hanging on the wall casting a yellow glow in its surroundings.

"I eventually learned of other ways to approach Koh, with Aang's help, of course, and freed my Ummi." Kuruk paused. "Korra, you will also find another way to settle all this. I know you will. For now, your return to the human world is vital, yours _and_ Amon's too," he continued.

Korra crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. His words were true; perhaps there was a way to come to a negotiation for the time being. "But what if he still tries to, you know…" _take away her bending._

"That's what the avatar state is for-"

Korra gave him a deadpan expression.

"You will also connect with your spiritual side and master the avatar state in time. Though don't worry about that, most likely, he will not try anything of the sort. He also understands the importance of working together to safely return home."

Although Korra did not wholeheartedly agree with this, she still placed her trust in Kuruk and knew he only meant the best for her.

"You're right, getting back is our top priority," Korra replied. "And the only thing we agree on," she continued with a laugh.

Kuruk smiled, placing a hand on her arm. "It is a dangerous journey up ahead, but working together can help overcome those difficulties."

Korra gave a nod as she opened the door to her room, before turning around to face Kuruk. "Thank you so much, for everything."

"You will be alright."

-:-


	13. Arguments and Fresh Wounds

-:-

A soothing, lavender glow spread across the early morning skies as the sun's burnished rays immersed the valley in its light, melting away the frost clinging to every blade of grass. The gentle caws of sparrowkeets echoed throughout the pinnacles of towering pine trees scattered around the mountainous terrain, greeting the new day.

The departure of the Avatar and the Equalist leader from the humble village was a quiet and orderly affair. In their generosity, the villagers had provided them with a range of supplies for their journey, which included food, sleeping mats, and a map among other items. Korra hoisted the bag over her shoulders as she strode past the edge of a leafy foothill. She was ever thankful towards Kuruk and the others for bestowing these necessities. She had almost winced at the notion of sleeping on a cold, hard ground again. According to the villagers that morning, the forest was much kinder to its visitors and inhabitants in terms of providing sustenance and fresh, clean water. There were not many available sources of food in the mountains.

As Kuruk had told them earlier, the mountain trail began at the outskirts of the valley, from where they would descend into a new territory. Korra had mentally prepared herself for embarking on this 'adventure' the previous night before. As a result, she had gotten very little sleep while she reassured herself that this will pass very quickly. The idea was to not think about the journey itself and who she would be sharing it with, but rather to focus her mind towards the destination, where this would all come to an end. It was going to be difficult, there was no doubt about that, but she had to try and be civil if she wanted to get out of here.

-:-

They had been trekking up the hills at a steady pace for many hours by now. The village had long since disappeared behind the fluffy, hazy clouds past the horizon. The atmosphere felt slightly thinner while the air currents became stronger as they pushed forward. Korra scanned around the unchanging environment. Behind her, nothing but hills and valleys stretched on into the distance. Looking ahead, however, she could make out the sharp outlines of sky high mountains. They were close. Quite close, in fact as the clouds cleared away to reveal more distinct shapes of the cliff tops and woodlands below.

Korra felt the urge to snack on something. They had stopped earlier for a simple meal of bread and cheese. It wasn't too long ago, but all this continual walking was still using up her energy. Besides, there wasn't much else she was doing apart from trailing behind Amon, who had not once turned around to check on her or anything. That was kind of strange of him. What if she tried to bend? Or, if she wanted to, she could run away from him _right_ at this moment, far away, never to see him-

Korra felt herself collide into something solid, head first _._ She almost toppled over, but quickly recovered herself as she watched _him_ turn around to face her.

"Watch your steps, Avatar."

"Says the one who suddenly stopped without any warning," she snapped back, placing her hands on her hips.

Amon gave no response as he turned around again and dropped his supply bag to the ground. He crouched down and filtered through its contents, before pulling out a folded map, which was promptly unfurled in his hands and placed in front of him.

Korra ambled over to the opposite side, and plopped herself onto to the hard ground below, gathering a small cloud of dust on her pants. Sitting cross-legged, she opened her bag for some of the blubbered seal jerky she had packed.

"Our route begins here," said Amon as he pointed a finger on the mountain range drawn on the map. "There is another village beyond these mountains. We retrieve more supplies from there, and travel across to this town. Here-" His finger traced the minuscule tracks imprinted on the aged, yellowing paper, "-is where we catch a train which will pass through these various locations. There will be several courses to change before we arrive at this city." He pointed on a pictogram of a dragon koi fish with the words _Sentaku_ etched beneath it. "From there onwards, we travel to the pier, where we board a ship to cross the ocean." He paused. "Once on land, we would have entered the end of this realm,-" He left his finger upon the blue hue embossed on the map "-the Northern Lands," he trailed over to a symbol of a mountain range. "And at _this_ mountain." He pressed down on the intricate pictogram "Is where our journey ends."

"Where it ends," Korra murmured as she studied the network of colour-coded lines, depicting every course of the entirely separate world. Her eyes wandered from start to end, noting the different landmarks and icons represented.

But something puzzled Korra as she followed the pathways shown on the map. While most of the locations were clearly labelled, there were certain areas left completely blank with no symbols to indicate what the regions were. And what was more; they passed along the railway tracks and around the different towns and cities. They were not isolated sites cut off from civilization. There was a particularly large expanse of bare land on the map. Looking closely, soft, wavy lines were sprawled across it. They must have faded over time, but the region was still unlabelled.

"What's this place?" Korra asked.

"A wasteland or unmarked territory of some sort."

"I think it's the desert."

"Perhaps. Though it doesn't concern our travels in any way."

Korra chewed on her seal jerky as Amon continued to study the map. The wind had picked up around them, the soft weeds tickling her arms from the motion. She leaned on her arm as she gazed out towards the still imagery from atop the hills. The pale sunlight streaming across the lands gave it an eerie glow, and although there wasn't much happening out in the fields, she could only describe everything as washed-out and bare.

It was sometime later when they continued on their hike across the hills, until finally reaching the mountain range.

* * *

Shades of red and deep indigo were daubed across the evening sky as the first stars made their appearance, gleaming from the heavens above and down upon the mountainous terrain.

Korra felt like she was going to melt into a puddle just about now. Her entire body ached from the constant walking all day, her limbs slack from exhaustion. It was the _only_ thing they had been doing since arriving in the mountains several days ago, moving forward from morning until dusk, not stopping except for small breaks to eat, or to sleep in the nights. She was quite athletic in her own right, but being out here in this somewhat harsh environment was not doing any good for her levels of energy. She really needed a proper rest, if only for a day.

Korra flicked her hair out of her eyes as she trudged along the loose, gravelly path below, her feet kicking at stones and pebbles with each step, which fell into the deep woodlands below, as the trail had become very narrow. For many days now, she had been heeding Kuruk's advice about 'working together' and making attempts to stay civil and calm. Oh, she might as well throw those words at Amon's stupid head right at this moment.

He had been leading this trip since the beginning, and she truly had complied with him by not inquiring about the route they were taking, or acting out in rebellion from the lack of a good night's sleep. But she was _so_ very tempted to do just that, get some sort of reaction out of him. Because _every_ time she had requested him to take a break for one day, or get a longer sleep at night, she was always answered in the same, monotonous tone of _'No'_ and _'Keep moving forward, Avatar,_ ' and he never expanded on any more than that. She was actually _polite_ when she had asked him, too.

But he always put his discrimination against benders before applying practical, common sense.

It kind of hurt, in a way.

The sun was quickly disappearing behind the horizon as the last rays of its ember lights filtered against the mountain slopes. The Avatar and the Equalist Leader reached up the steep mountain trail, the tops of pine trees grazing their path. It was darker than before, and as a consequence, became more difficult to see clearly. Shadows were engulfing almost every corner and crevice of the trail. While the trail was wide enough to accommodate several people side by side, it was not as safe as the previous ones they had passed over.

Korra held her arms together, slowing down her pace. She had been using some of the candlesticks provided by the villagers for light during these hours of the days. Unfortunately, a couple of them had fallen out of her bag without her notice, and the last one had melted away into a stub.

It was only getting darker and Amon was showing no signs of slowing down.

Korra stopped at a slight dip in the path as she watched him continue to stride ahead on the steep trail, which was now slanting downwards at a sharp angle. How could he so easily walk in an environment like this? His eyes must be able to adjust to the dark very easily, though that was probably the side effect of living underground in Republic City's unlit tunnels for many years.

She wouldn't have had this issue if there was a source of light to guide her. It would have been no problem since she would be able to view her surroundings much better, especially around the edges of the trail. Were they bushes, or large rocks? All they appeared as right now were giant black blobs ready to snatch her away if she went down the trail, which widened again at the bottom, thankfully.

She could try…Tentatively, Korra set one foot in front of her, and then another as the rocks shifted beneath her. She took a few more steps, until her foot made a slip- Nope; she wasn't going down this trail right now. It was too steep. She regained her balance, about to go back up again-

"Avatar, what's holding you up?"

She wasn't going to answer him, there was no need to. She was exhausted and wanted to just be herself again. No more pretending to be his little non-bender. She couldn't bear the thought of just blindly following someone like this for so many months. Korra sauntered back up to the dip in the trail again, and dropped her supply bag on the ground with an audible _thud_.

She sat down to place her sleeping mat out, along with the small blanket. After getting herself comfortable on the mat, she held her hands together as a burst of flames flickered in them, illuminating her close surroundings in golden light. _Ah, so much better_. For the past couple of nights, she had been going without a fire since there was not enough proper tinder to start one in this region of the mountains.

Although the warmth of the fire in her hands was soothing at the moment, she couldn't leave it lit the whole night, obviously. Oh well, she would enjoy its comfort while it lasted before she wanted to sleep. With that thought in mind, she snuggled under the covers, playing around with the small, glowing flame.

Korra shifted her gaze down towards the trail. From the faint light of her flame, she could make out a bag and mat set out on the ground at the bottom. Amon stood at the widened end of the trail, his mask the only distinctive object in the shadows. He was staring up at her.

"Get down over here, Avatar," he commanded.

"No, I can't see anything in my way," Korra retorted, glaring back at him as she tossed the ball of flame back and forth in her hands.

"Extinguish the flame in your hand."

Sighing, Korra sat up straighter, the cool air nipping at her arms. It was pointless to refute a fundamental aspect of her being. If he didn't understand that, he should at least allow her to have her own personal space in which he doesn't have to be a part of. She kept the flame alight in her hand.

"There's no use trying to deny _who I am_ anymore. I'll see you down there in the morning when it's actually safer to walk this path. Now _good night_ ," Korra turned the other way, pulling the covers up her arms again. In all honesty, she just didn't want to be anywhere near him at the moment.

"Yet again, your arrogance never fails to astound me, Avatar."

She heard the scuffing of his boots on the gravelly earth below.

Annoyed by his patronizing tone of voice, Korra whirled around; the ball of flame flicking away sparks by the sudden movement.

"Arrogance? Being reasonable in this type of situation is your definition of _arrogance_? Really, I thought you would've at least known better." Korra huffed as the flame continued to dance across the shadows.

"It's no grand feat in taking a couple of steps to reach here," he paused. "Although, it seems that the Avatar cannot handle a petty circumstance and continues to disobey my terms. Did we not have an agreement on your use of bending?"

"I never gave my word," Korra fisted the blanket in her hand. She had to talk this through another way before she lost her ever dwindling patience and did something she would regret later. "Look, I want to get out of this place as quickly as possible too, but being like this, without my bending, for _so many_ months…You can't just expect me to stay like that. It's unnatural."

"You're wasting time speaking about topics beyond your comprehension. For now, it's better to discredit your title in preparation for future events." He took a couple of steps forward, though did not go up the steep pathway. "Your presence is no longer needed in this world, Avatar, and you will come to understand that in time.

"Taking away my bending isn't going to magically solve all the world's problems," The flames in her hand increased in size, spewing forth more sparks. The whole argument was getting ridiculous, and she was not in the mood to discuss any political matters. It was her time for a proper night's sleep. "Just…leave me alone, I'm tired of all this."

"I will make it clear again for the last time. Unless you prefer for me to drag you here instead, extinguish the flames and come down here." It was crucial that the Avatar stay in his view. The further away she was, the more likely it was she would harbor more rebellious ideas. Amon chose his next words carefully. "I do have reasons to believe that you are hiding something, Avatar."

"Like what? I'm not hiding anything."

"Making plans to run away, perhaps."

Korra dug her hand into the blanket, her fingers pinching the soft fibers. Her jaw clenched as she tried to keep it all together and not snap at that moment. _Stay calm, remember what Kuruk said._ But oh, he just had to further complicate an already messy situation!

"I am _not_ planning on running away."

"If that is the case, then start making your way down the path." Amon held his hands by his side in fists. " _Right now."_

Korra swallowed at the severe tone of his voice. _He's just trying to scare you…_ She couldn't just give in to him this easy; she had to stay her ground and assert her own authority too! She _had_ to…

"No."

In the calm stillness of the late evening, she heard him exhale a breath. She actually heard him _breathe_. The rapid beating of her heart was almost deafening to her own ears as she watched his figure in the shadows, his mask still the only discernible object.

He stretched, the cracking of bones cutting through the quiet, static atmosphere.

"You do make this difficult for yourself, Avatar."

Amon began to take slow, languid steps up the trail.

Korra momentarily froze. She felt her hands tremble with each step he took, the sound of his boots scraping against the dirt and rocks loud and clear in the surroundings. His pace was so unhurried, yet so very controlled…

No, she couldn't just let him continue to affect her like this anymore. She would _never_ show him any weakness. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Korra leapt up from the sleeping mat, her hands ready in position to attack.

"Stay away from me." Both her hands were alight with crackling, orange flames as she began to take a couple of steps back into the edge of the trail.

But Amon gave no reply as he came towards her.

"Don't come any closer or else!-" she backed into the trail's edge a couple of steps more, "-you know what I will do!"

_Rocks crushed against each other, the mask became clearer._

Why couldn't she throw fire at him? It felt like her hands were set in stone.

Korra felt her eyes prickle with indignation. She absolutely _hated_ feeling like this right now. She implored the spirits to give her strength, to help her battle this all-consuming, numbing _fear_.

" _I hate you_."

The words were meant to ring loud across the horizon, to let it be heard by every living creature, but instead her voice cracked. _Pitiful, weak, disgraceful._

_Limbs emerged from the shadows, but the mask remained ever-mocking, with its eyes cold and lifeless._

The fire grew in size, crackling and spitting at the spectacle. He was only a couple of feet away now, his tall, looming figure casting long shadows all around her. Why wouldn't he just _stop_?

No more. She was ready to take action.

Korra held the blazing fire in front of her and raised her hands above. With a flourishing arc of the fire, she lashed it out towards him, taking one more step backwards to steady herself onto the ground-

Her foot found no ground.

But it was too late to realize.

Stunned, she lost her balance, and fell into the hidden, shadowed trench over the trail's edge.

She hit something on the way down. A searing, hot pain shot up her right leg.

She landed on the stone cold ground below in an unceremonious heap.

And let out a shrill, ear piercing scream.

_It had all happened too quickly._

-:-


	14. I Was Four

-:-

Her scream echoed throughout the deathly silence of the night, piercing the dense, inky cover spread across the deep mountainside.

She lay on her side, her arms splayed across the smooth, cold stone beneath as the moisture seeped through her clothes and bit at her exposed skin. Tilting her head to the side, she glanced around her surroundings. Everywhere she looked; there was nothing but the colour black in her line of sight, nothing except for the never ending void of darkness which pervaded through every inch of the rocky trench. What was in front of her? Another trap for her to plunge into?

She didn't care.

Korra stared into the nothingness; her eyes vacant and mouth slightly ajar as she choked back on sobs. She knew since the beginning that these were all the silly, destructive mistakes by the spirits. They were simply bored and wanted to fool around with some humans. And here she finally was, caught in the purgatory between the two worlds, doomed to make her own way back. But this…Was it her ultimate punishment? Is this, then, how she was supposed to acknowledge the importance of her identity? Or rather, that she truly didn't live up to her title no matter how much she convinced herself otherwise.

And why now, were these thoughts manifesting themselves in her tired, aching mind? Maybe it was the level of expectations she had never achieved. She had tried; she truly had, given her best efforts. But for _spirits_ sake, she still hadn't mastered air bending; and no connection had been made between herself and her spiritual side as of yet.

" _You lack restraint…you've excelled at the physical side of bending, but completely ignored the spiritual side."_ Her mentor's words repeated themselves again and again. In the past, as it was all part of history now, she casually waved off any criticism thrown at her and managed to keep up with false pretenses, assuring herself with sugar coated things like _'You'll get it soon' 'You're the Avatar! Of course you can do it!'_ But she had never exposed her insecurities to _anyone_ , never told someone how much it actually hurt in not been able to connect with a part of herself.

She felt incomplete.

And _his_ words really did ring true. She was a _pathetic_ excuse of an Avatar, unable to make amends in _any_ world. And with herself, too.

_Not the right time to be thinking about this._

Korra slowly held herself up on her arms, trying to sit upright. She was alerted by the stinging sensation on her leg again as she moved. The pain went past her knee and coiled at her ankle. Actually, it seemed she had sustained two separate injuries in one go.

 _Just great_.

By now, her vision had adjusted to the dark somewhat, though it was still hard to distinguish anything particular in her surroundings. She leaned back against the rocky wall, trying not to cause any more sudden movements to her ankle and leg. Making sure she was in a comfortable position, she carefully rolled her pants up her leg, inch by inch, until bunching the cloth at her knee. Her hand came away slightly wet. Bursting a small flame in her other hand, she inspected the wound.

Dark, crimson liquid was oozing from a wide gash which began below her knee and ended just above the cuff of her shoe. Slivered trails of the warm, glistening blood flowed down her leg, dripping onto the damp ground beneath her. The cut wasn't too deep, but the continual stream of blood had to be managed somehow. She recalled packing some spare strips of cloths into her bag, if she could get-

Oh, right, her bag was left at the top, which contained all her stuff, along with her mat, too.

 _Great, great, great_.

Well, she should at least do something about her ankle. Very gently, her hands gripped the cuff of her mukluk and pulled it off, letting out a hiss of pain from between her clenched teeth. Gingerly, her fingers prodded the now swollen space between the juncture of her foot and leg. It looked as if it had been somewhat sprained. Or fully twisted. Maybe even broken. What, in the name of Koh, had she hit on her way down?

Korra let out a breath of frustration and crossed her arms, laying her head back. What was she supposed to do now? If it was more visible, she would have been able to earth bend a platform to take her back up again. But even that was risky; the trench might collapse in on itself. What to do, what to do… _If she knew how to_ _airbend, she could_ -yeah, she wasn't going to dwell on her failures right now, not exactly the best time.

She wanted to look up, out towards the top, but there was that familiar sense of hesitation, that, if she did, she would see the glaring whiteness of the horrific mask, bearing down her, ready to-

 _Stop_.

He was still up there-no, not right above, just somewhere else-but, where exactly? And her leg, and her ankle, they were injured; she can't get up from her spot. She could barely _move_ and-he could exploit that weakness. He _will_ exploit her vulnerable state.

_Just try._

Get up and get away, far away, for good. She had broken their non-existent terms already, and he wouldn't hesitate to turn her into a former shell of who she once was. It was dark, yes, but she had her bending and if she just _tried_ , she could save herself for at least a little while until…until what? She was useless right now to do _anything_.

_Try._

Because if she didn't, he would reach her first, and there will be no more time left, and he would suffocate her with his presence in this enclosed space, he might even- _no_ , he _will_ , rip out the essence of her life and leave her to rot in this deserted site, never to be found again, lost to the world, and eventually to be reincarnated as the next Avatar, most likely in the Earth Kingdom, unless he somehow tried to get her into the Avatar state to end the ten thousand year old cycle once and for all and-

_Again, stop._

Korra took deep, calm breaths, and held the flame in front of her. There was no trap in which she would fall into, no tricky, hidden crevice to engulf her. It was just a wall of rock all around, starting from the bottom and reaching the top, the sharp rock jutting out at strange angles and corners along the way. Her gaze fell on a bundle of sticks and twigs at the bottom, just out of reach from her injured foot. It was the perfect thing to light on fire. It would be small, but a fire nonetheless. Using her hand to support her weight on one side, she crawled across to retrieve the sticks. She pushed herself back against the wall and gathered the twigs into a pile, and flicked her finger towards it as the fire came to life.

The trench was alight with the warm, orange glow, reflecting against the jagged edges and pointy corners of the rocks. There was a steady trickle of water sliding down the walls and splashing against the floor. It was a slow, constant _drip_ , one of the few sounds apart from the owlcat's hoot, or the light, swaying breeze above, the motion of leaves and tree branches resonating in the atmosphere.

_Drip, drip, drip._

It wasn't enough water to heal her wounds, and inspecting her leg once again, she noted that the blood had congealed all over, while her swollen ankle was turning an ugly shade of purple. _Not good, not good at all._

She had to do something about her injuries quick, and _fast_. But first, she had to get out of this trench…

_He's up there, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike._

A shiver went down her spine as she pressed herself into the rocky wall. No matter how much she convinced herself otherwise, the grave reality was that she was trapped. And there was no way out. She was in no state to freely move. Or fight. Her arms wrapped around herself, and she leaned against the wall. _Stay calm; come up with a plan._

_Drip, drip, drip._

She feverishly glanced around the trench, taking note of the slightest shifts and movements in her surroundings as she thought up of something. The thin trail of water continued to slide down the rocks, the air was slightly warm as she inhaled the mixed scent of gravel and smoke, tinged with the smell of wet dirt. She knew what to do.

_Drip, drip-scratch_

Korra whipped her head in the direction of the sudden noise, trying to discern what had broken the constant pattern of the water. She listened closely as she broke out in a cold sweat, her palms clammy and heart racing. She won't ever be able to control her involuntary actions, it did not, however, demotivate her to keep going.

Footsteps. She could hear footsteps now. They were getting close. But she couldn't see anyone approaching. She sat up straighter, holding her arms out in front of her, poised to fire bend at her opponent. _Fake to fire bend_. The footsteps sounded so strange, echoing all over the place, making it hard to distinguish where they were coming from.

Korra shifted to her left side, looking out towards the other side of the trench. Again, there was nothing. No more footsteps. They couldn't have been her imagination; she definitely heard them get closer to her.

She knew he was here. And didn't fight back when she finally felt his presence behind her.

Quick, sharp jabs to her shoulders and they went numb, and next, her arms. It wasn't anything major, but her 'plan' was her only salvation right now, and the best part about it-he would not be expecting it. He had haunted her existence, gotten through to the deep recesses of her mind, even indirectly caused her fall over the trail's edge and now- Now was the time for him to really acknowledge what he'd done to her. Now was the time for her to see how _he_ would be affected.

-:-

Amon settled himself in front of the Avatar and held her arms down by her sides. She tilted her face to the side, away from him. Did she think he was going to be lenient with her? That there would be no repercussions for her misbehaviour? And now look where her attitude had gotten her, trapped within the earth, with injuries to add. Their journey had just begun and already, _already_ it had been impeded by her thoughtless, irrational actions. _Foolish, foolish girl._ At this rate, their return to the human world was going to take more than just six months. His grip tightened on her arms.

She was so pathetic, always thinking ahead of herself and only _for_ herself. She didn't ever stop to think and consider how her actions would affect the positions of others. Even back at the village, she was eager to accept whatever was offered just because they were finally aware of her identity. Entitlements and lavish treatments were all part of the _great_ Avatar's daily life. To take and never give was her philosophy. She was built upon it, shaped by it, she lived and breathed every moment with the innate sense that nothing else mattered except her. If it did not involve her, she didn't care what happened to anyone else, just like her previous incarnation- _who never interfered with his life, or of his dear little brother's._

He was tempted to teach her some kind of lesson, to put her in her place. Though, it would be pointless to do so right now. There were other pressing concerns for now. Terror was rolling off of her in waves, and her face was still turned away from him, her limp hair shielding her cheek. _What a sad excuse of an Avatar._ But he had to admit, he had presumed she would put up a fight again, hence the need for blocking her chi points. She was also being awfully quiet, especially in contrast to her brash and violent outbursts earlier…No matter; he would garner a reaction from her soon.

He leaned in, looking down at her.

"Are you proud of your actions, Avatar?"

He felt her pulse quicken, but otherwise she said nothing. She most likely _was_ feeling quite proud, and so he probed on.

"You must be glad to have finally gotten your way, is that correct?"

No response.

"Tell me, do you feel honored to be who you are?"

He could hear the steady trickle of water slide down the rocky wall, the sound of the small flames crackling and the light wind billowing above them. But was only met with more silence from her.

"What's the matter, Avatar? Something got that snarky tongue of yours?"

_Drip, drip, drip._

Amon let go of her arms and leaned back, somewhat frustrated. He had expected her to throw a burst of fire at him again, bend the earth beneath him, done something, anything, to prove her Avatar status. She seemed to be deliberately not responding towards him at the moment. _Give it a day, and she'll be normal again._ Strange how he surmised her current state as not being normal. This was, after all, not how she usually behaved in a situation. Her tactless and unruly nature made this all the more...How to put it, bizarre?

Why should he care, anyway? He couldn't see at her expression; her face was almost hidden in the shadows, away from the fire's light. His gaze flickered down to her leg, and then her ankle.

While she had not sustained severe injuries, her wounds were still serious enough to be requiring quick medical attention. He was once again, against his better judgement, surprised at her. She had not cried out in agony, or made a fuss about the extent of her injuries. She was definitely in a lot of pain, he could feel it, could smell the sharp, metallic scent of blood, but the fact that she refused to show even a hint of it… Her scream echoed through his mind again.

" _Keep still,"_ he murmured as he carefully wrapped one hand just above her ankle and the other around her foot.

He heard her sharp intake of breath. The feeling had returned in her arms, and she crossed an arm over to hold onto the wall, her fingernails scratching into the rough exterior of the rock.

His palms pressed into her flesh, feeling the direction of the blood flow in every vein and vessel, and where it pooled at her ankle, assessing how much damage there was, and if there were any bones harmed. His psychic blood-bending sealed the cut on her leg as he held her foot in both hands, ready to set it back in place. One, two, three-

 _Crack_.

She let out yelp, and looked down at her now-fixed ankle. She gingerly moved her foot about, though still continued to avoid looking at him.

Whatever he had just done was in full regards to their travels. The faster her injuries healed, the quicker their journey would come to an end. He watched her idle movements, the decreasing swelling of her ankle, the dried, congealed blood on her leg, her brown tinted skin. She was merely but flesh and blood. And it confounded him. He got up and turned away, suddenly feeling uneasy.

She was still unable to properly walk of course, much less climb out of the trench. Her stuff-he would have to bring it down here. She would have to stay a couple of days down here, unless he-no, he wouldn't try to carry her out of this trench himself, it wouldn't be easy anyway-she would be uncomfortable about it, not that it mattered, but right now, in this state, he had to act accordingly. Get her stuff down here and then leave, yes. But keep an eye on her too, in case anything happens, happens to her-

Amon dug his nails into his palms. The raw sight of her skin and blood and bruises had affected him too much. Nothing was ever supposed to _affect_ him, not like this, anyway, and what exactly was he supposed to call this-expression? Thought? Dare he say, emotion? He quickened his pace to step onto the rock and began exiting the trench.

_No, remember who she is._

* * *

During the next couple of days, in the mornings and late afternoons, Amon climbed down into the trench to check up on the Avatar, inspect her injuries, and then return back up. He occasionally gave her fresh water he had collected from the nearby pond. But mostly, he stayed out on the trail beneath the sweeping branch of a sturdy tree, using it as shelter from the elements, where he sat for long periods of time and contemplated. Nothing in particular, rather a mixture of the present day occurrences, the near future, and sometimes, very rarely, a snippet from the past.

Large grey storm clouds had been rolling in for some time now, cascading the lands in shadows of dark grey. Despite the natural greenery in the mountains, everything looked so ashen, and dull. Almost lifeless. He wanted to laugh at the irony.

He was setting out his sleeping mat one evening when he felt a couple of drops of water make contact with the side of his mask, and then more as he looked up towards the dark skies, the water sliding down past his neck and dampening his tunic. The rain began to pour down in torrents as he deftly repacked his mat and slung his bag over his shoulder. He scanned the woodlands for any sort of proper shelter for the night, since the tree branch wasn't going to give much cover anymore. But, looking around, there was no secure place, and nothing he could use for a makeshift shelter.

Rivulets of water were flowing down his back by now, his vision becoming less clear as the rain continued to pour buckets. He saw nothing but the white slate of rain in front of him, the woodlands less visible by the passing minute. There was only one place to take cover from this rainstorm.

Amon made his way up the steep trail, being careful not to slip from the loose, wet gravel beneath him as the water rushed past his feet. It had been years since he had last felt the rainwater on him, as he had spent most of his time underground during every occasion of weather. He was tempted, so very tempted, to bend the water away from his mask, or create a dome around him to fend off the water. But he wasn't so weak to be reduced to such a low level. His fingers continued to itch.

Soon, he was climbing down into the darkened trench, carefully latching onto the wall. He almost remembered the pattern of every foothold by now. By the time he reached the bottom, there were only droplets falling from above, as the heavy rain could not penetrate through the rocky shelter.

He walked the narrow expanse of the trench to the other side, where the warm glow of the fire illuminated the small, enclosed space. The Avatar was huddled against the corner on the mat, wrapped in her pelt blanket. He wasn't sure if she was awake or asleep. She had, after all, continued to showcase her stubborn tendency to directly avoid looking at him the whole time, or even utter a single word.

He placed his drenched bag near the fire to dry, and set his sleeping mat out. He leaned his back against the wall, feeling the sharp edges prickle his skin through the cloth. He noticed a stir of movement from the Avatar's figure as she turned over, her eyes closed. So she was asleep right now.

Amon tended to the fire, adding a couple of more twigs into the flames. He had collected them after thoroughly searching the woodlands, trying to find the proper scraps of tinder to keep a fire going. He didn't have to. He didn't need the fire. In fact, there was no reason to help retain the fire, or keep refilling her waterskin bottle with only the cleanest and most fresh type of water. Absolutely _no_ reason at all. And yet-he continued to do it. _It's to end this journey as quick as possible with no further delays._ Yes, that was one reason. There were more but he just couldn't think of them right at the moment-he was tired, so very tired. He wanted to return to the human world as quick as possible and forget about all this.

His gaze flickered over to the Avatar. She stirred in her sleep again as her eyebrows furrowed and mouth set into a frown. Her mouth opened, as though she was trying to say something. She began to mumble something, though the words were incoherent. He concluded it wasn't anything important, though he listened closely, just in case she mentioned something useful, information to aid his plans.

" _No…No!"_

She was frantic, her arms thrashing about as she spoke in her sleep. Should he interfere? Probably not, she was just sleep talking, from a dream? It did not seem like one at the moment…

" _Don't…It's the only thing…no…"_

Her voice trailed off again. Amon looked away, that sense of unease returning once again. What was he supposed to do about this? But he knew better, he knew what was going through her unconscious mind at the moment. What to do, what to do, his discomfort was growing by the passing moments as he continued to watch her. He didn't want to deal with this. He didn't know _how_ to deal with this.

She babbled nonsensical words, and pushed the pelt cover off of her.

" _You can't do this…please…I tried to!-"_ she cried out, and snapped her eyes open. She sat up, bunching the soft material of the pelt cover in her hands, her breathing harsh and loud in the orange lit space. Her gaze fell towards the Equalist leader.

She scrambled into the corner behind her, pulling the cover up to her chin. Her eyes screwed shut again as she ducked her head into her arms.

Amon could almost feel the rapid beating of her heart without the use of his blood bending. As of yet, he still didn't know _what_ to do. But of course, she wasn't expecting him to be here. Well, better to clear that up now.

"It's raining, and there was no other shelter outside," he said.

No response, as usual.

He was almost used to it by now, though still, he had expected her to reply to that at least, or bend fire at him. He had expected her to bend the solid rock around them, crush him with it, throw an arc of flame towards him, burn him in it, bend the water into icy shards, try to strike him somehow, bend air- _air?_ To his knowledge, she had not once shown any air bending. He was frustrated with her, with _himself._ It was becoming difficult to read her mind. He had achieved it so easily before, but now, when she was like _this_ , so- _withdrawn_ and just…

She was slowly tearing away at his mind, she was crossing the limits of his decades old composure… _and she had not even done a single thing._

The rain continued to sluice down the land above them; the thunder roared through the skies, lightning struck every now and then. They were safe from the environment, away from the tumultuous storm outside, and had he-they, being out there, they wouldn't have been able to fight it. At times, he didn't mind when events turned out differently, because every once in a while, it almost made sense to acknowledge that some things happened for a reason.

"I was four."

Amon looked up, surprised at her- _again._ She was looking back at him. He waited for her to continue.

"I was four…When the White Lotus found out about my identity…"

Amon continued to watch her. He was unsure as to why she was telling him this, he already knew. This was not what he had expected to hear from her after days of silence. But he listened.

"I was very young, but… I knew what it meant, and…and I felt very happy about it."

She wrapped the pelt cover around herself, and gave a small smile. It didn't reach her eyes. He knew it wasn't one of happiness to begin with.

"From that day on, life became very different," she paused, the downpour slowing down outside. "Not just for me, but for my parents, too…It never mattered to me at the time, but now…" Her eyes began to glisten. She wiped them with the back of her wrists, and smoothed the hair away from her face.

He continued to listen, to just hear her talk.

"To be honest, I…I don't know why I'm even telling you this," she gestured towards him, her voice hollow. Dull. _Almost lifeless._ But he didn't find anything funny about this at all.

"I don't know, okay? You-you're the only one here, and-I guess, I felt like I had to say it," she continued. "To kind of…Get it off my chest; is that the right way to put it?" Her eyes were misty again.

The rain had almost stopped, with only the soft patter of raindrops sinking into the earth. He hadn't realized when he had reached over, and was sitting directly across from her. She hadn't flinched. It wasn't so much as to how he found himself at that spot, but rather what bought him there. The words- _her_ words. She said she was being _honest,_ honest with _him_. Eyes. Blue eyes, such vivid, blue eyes. They were so raw, so _pure_ \- _Flesh and blood, flesh and blood_. But what was _he_ doing? What was he even _thinking_ about right now? If his mind was usually sorted, it was in disarray. Everything was just mixed up. It wasn't pity; it wasn't sympathy, no-that's not what he was _feeling_ right now. He didn't know _what_ it was, and it made no sense _at all._

_Snap._

Amon whipped his head up towards the opening of the trench on the other side. That sound, he had heard it before, back at the clearing in the forest. He had not noticed how quiet it had gotten outside. Just like that night. There was the sound of rustling this time, however.

It seemed they weren't alone after all.

-:-


	15. Questions

-:-

The narrow trench was plunged into darkness as the fire extinguished of its own accord.

Korra felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle at the sudden absence of the soothing, amber glow of the flames and its warmth. Though she wondered if it was even the lack of fire which caused this instinctive reaction.

She remained in her position, waiting for the next queue of action, her breaths audible in the enclosed space. Black was in her line of sight again, the surrounding walls of sharp edged rocks hidden in the shadows once more. Maybe an imaginary trap or tricky crevice would form this time, because she didn't know what was around her anymore, and she had no clue as to what was about to happen. She licked her dry lips, feeling the air cool against them. There was no need to panic; however-she still had her own fire. _No need to panic at all_.

Korra held her palm out to light up a ball of flame.

Just as the flame flickered to life, it was snuffed out without so much as any command from her. She tried again, but the ball of fire ceased to stay alight in her palm, as though it was being blown out by some unseen force.

_This is wrong._

A growing sense of trepidation gnawed away in the pit of her stomach as she directed her gaze towards the other end of the trench.

"My fire keeps going out," her voice wavered.

There was no response from Amon for this bizarre turn of event as she saw-no, rather sensed him stand above her. Spirits, it was difficult to see anything in this lightless place. She felt him take a couple of steps away from her.

" _Wait here_."

Korra almost thought she didn't hear him properly, but there was no mistaking what he had just said. He was going outside, he was going _out there_ all by himself and they had absolutely no idea as to what was awaiting them.

She had never been trained for a situation like this, or ever thought up of scenario in which she was. Instincts were telling her that this was no ordinary problem which would disappear with a flick of her wrists. But it seemed that Amon was not in the least affected by this strange circumstance. Knowing there was no one else who resided in these mountains, and hearing something when you're not supposed to, was not normal. Dear Tui and La, the fire had gone out on its own, along with her own. She thought he was crazy to even venture outside. Something just wasn't right… _And_ _it's too quiet_.

Korra was still trying to absorb what was happening as she got up from her mat. She reached into the dark, blindly, and her hand clutched onto the damp fabric of his sleeve. It felt ice cold between her fingers.

"What are you doing _?"_ She asked, her voice low.

He gave no reply, though she felt a shift of movement from him. She realised it was much easier to talk to him if she did not have to see the mask.

"Look, I think we should both wait here," there was a chilly sensation across her bare arms "For now, at least," she added.

"There's a strange noise, the fire suddenly goes out- doesn't that seem weird to you?" she asked, hoping to persuade him to remain where he was. She tried to bend some fire into her hand, and again, it failed to keep alight. "Spirits, what's going on?" she said more to herself.

He remained silent and it was hard for her to decipher anything about him. But despite his stoic demeanor, she did not want him out there on his own, all alone. _And why exactly?_ There was no time to delve on the matter, however, and truth be told, she didn't want to either.

"It's better we stay here," Her fingers dug into his sleeve, as though her subconscious was still trying to give proof to the notion that there was live, human flesh beneath. " _Please_."

She became aware of the sudden heat emanating beneath her hand. Somewhat alarmed, she jerked it away. Her hand felt tingly all over, and she tried in her earnest not to notice it. _She needed sleep, that was all._

Their footsteps echoed across the stone ground below as he stopped and turned towards her.

"It's strange for you to be saying this; considering how much more likely it is that you would take any given opportunity to take action first."

"I know, and that's probably why I really think you -"

But Korra could not finish her sentence as a loud _crack_ rung throughout the atmosphere. There was a flurry of movement at the end of the path up ahead as rocks and boulders began to topple down, blocking their only way out…

The trench was closing in on itself.

Without sparing another moment, Korra ran forward and thrust her arms out towards the falling boulders as they hit and cracked against one another, and she attempted to immobilise their movement. From beneath the ground and out towards the upper limits of the trench, the whole place shook and reverberated with the onslaught.

She could not make out a single object in the pitch darkness, but just as Katara had told her, that was no reason for her abilities to be impaired, and so she waited, and listened to the earth.

She raised her arms up and heaved an incoming slab of rock away, and then another as it rammed into the opposite wall. She continued to bend every chunk of rock and stone thrown their way, slamming them into the opposite direction and away from the exit, which was quickly becoming engulfed by the growing tower of boulders.

_They had to get out of here before it was too late._

And then she noticed a sliver of light beaming down from the top corner of the exit.

_Our way out._

Gaining momentum in speed, she cleared the path from clusters of crushed stone. The ground continued to shake beneath her as her arms strained with the effort to stop the whole trench from collapsing. Giving a quick look over her shoulder to check if Amon was still there, she dove forwards towards the end.

" _Stay right behind me!"_ her voice was almost inaudible beyond the loud roar of the crumbling trench.

She leaped onto a mass of fallen rocks, balancing her feet against the slippery surface. There was a twinge of pain in her ankle, and she clenched her teeth, trying not to cry out from the still-healing injury.

Quickly assessing the surrounding area for any other dangers, Korra spun her arms to clear away the top as rubble flung around in every direction.

It was at that moment that she noticed something out of place at far side of the trench. There was not just rubble strewn about… She peered into the semi-darkness to get a better look-and her heart almost leaped out of her throat at the sight of a looming, black mass of someone, _something_ -

_What?_

Within a blink of her eyes, it was no longer there.

_They had to leave, now._

She bent her knees and cleaved her arms towards the ground, ready to bend the solid earth.

"Watch out, I'm about to bring the ground up!"

With a wide push of her arms, she pulled the earth beneath them, her hands clenching from the pressure of the heavy weight. The ground rumbled, and with another push of her arms, detached itself from the bottom.

She drove the platform up against the wall, shoving it forward with every ounce of her strength and energy left, while simultaneously bending away stray rocks heading in their direction.

The moonlight became more visible, and finally, they were out at the top of the mountain trail.

-:-

There was a light breeze throughout the cold, night atmosphere, disrupting the motions of tree branches and undergrowth. The night sky was shrouded in dark grey storm clouds, briefly passing over the crescent moon.

Korra stood atop the platform, looking out towards the mountains as she took in deep breaths of the clean, fresh air. Staying under the enclosed trench had made her miss the coolness of open air. She continued to stand there for a while, looking up into the inky blackness of the sky, and simply feeling the breeze whisper past her ears and place feather-light kisses upon the bare skin of her neck and arms.

_They were still alive._

Her knees gave out under her and she pressed her palms against the stone beneath, feeling a dull ache through her weary muscles. Bending tonnes of heavy rocks and boulders required a lot of effort, which meant, of course, that the aftermath of performing such a feat lead to an overexertion of the body.

She crawled off from the platform, landing down onto the slightly wet trail below, and leaned her head back as she felt a twinge in her ankle again. While the cut on her leg had pretty much healed up with the help of her constant water healing, her ankle still required more time.

She rested her arm to one side and closed her eyes. Her mouth was parched from the lack of water, and spirits, she was absolutely exhausted. What she really needed right now was sleep, to fall into a nice, long, relaxing slumber…

There was movement in the near surroundings, and she was suddenly broken from her reverie to see Amon's silhouette standing in front of her. How could she have forgotten about him? She must have hit her head on something while getting out of the trench. Without giving much thought about anything else at the moment, she asked the first and most important thing which came to her mind.

"Do you have any water?"

Amon sat down near her at a respectable distance. He brushed his hands over his cowl, as though there was imaginary hair. Sighing, he turned towards her. He seemed frustrated, annoyed? But what did she do!?

"All our supplies have been buried. They were left there, when the trench was collapsing," he replied.

"Oh," was all she could manage to say.

They sat in silence for some time, with only the cricket-hopper's chirping for company. They contemplated, and thought about how every event had turned out so far. It was not like there was anything else left to do for the time being, life was just going from one roller coaster of crazy happenings to another, forever going round and round without a stopping point. For the both of them, even the term crazy was an understatement.

"I'm sorry for not getting the supplies…I should have thought about it first before taking action," said Korra as she pulled her knees up in front, wrapping her arms around them. It seemed that Amon was quite right about her- she always acted, and then thought-except this time, she didn't even try to think.

"We will buy more when we reach the village over these mountains," he replied.

"No," said Korra, striking a kick at the ground beneath. "How could I have been so _stupid_? You were right, about this whole 'acting first' thing; it just keeps getting us into trouble!"

Her eyes welled up, and she hugged her arms together from the chilly wind. She noticed, but did not say anything as she felt Amon sit right beside her.

"It's cold, we don't have any food or water, and we're stuck in some sort of wasteland," she said, waving her arms about. "I should get an award or something, you know? Something like, 'the most thoughtless Avatar ever to exist' award," she gave a sarcastic laugh.

"Avatar."

"That, or I could maybe go back in time somehow and undo all the countless mistakes I've made in life so far." Korra placed her head against the platform's edge, placing her palm on the other side. _Mistake after mistake_ , it was a recurring theme nowadays. Their stuff, all gone, how were they supposed to survive now? Unless…

"I know what I can do! I'll simply unbury our stuff by earth bending the rocks away. Do you think that would work?" she looked up at Amon, of what she could see of him in the dark anyway, her gaze expectant as the tears threatened to fall.

"Avatar," he repeated. He reached out, tentatively, to place a hand on her shoulder. "Rest for now."

Korra shifted her gaze away from him and closed her eyes. She bit her lower lip, trying to hold everything together and not fall apart. Amon's hand felt awkward and displaced on her shoulder, but it did not feel threatening in any way at the moment.

With that thought in mind, she sagged against the earthen platform and drifted off into deep, dreamless sleep.

-:-

It was several days later when they finally arrived at the end of the mountain terrain, and several days since escaping from the now disintegrated trench. They had continued their journey on the path, staying alert at every hour of the day. As for their supplies, that had been another matter entirely. The morning after the incident, Korra had, true to her words, earth bended the numerous rocks and boulders which had sunk deep into the trench to unbury any salvageable items. Miraculously, only her bag had survived the onslaught, while everything else had been crushed under the mounds of rock and rubble.

It had not been easy; of course, when it was time for them retire for the night. Sleeping without a mat was uncomfortable and often led to sore limbs in the morning after. But they persevered, day by day, in companionable silence for the most part as there was not much else to say, taking rests when it was needed, and sharing what little food they had left. While finding food was a problem, it was not the same case with water as they approached the last trail of mountain, where small ponds emerged throughout the barren lands.

But most importantly, however, was that the passing days had given Korra time to think, to reflect.

-:-

A crystal clear river stretched into the horizon, sparkling under the deep blue sky dispersed with white, fluffy, cumulus clouds. Close by, native creatures basked under the warm sunlight as they gathered food for the day. It was a refreshing sight after passing through bleak territory for days on end.

"Are we on the right track?" Korra held the map in front of her and compared the weathered parchment to the current landscape.

The river in front of them was not depicted on the map, and it was strange, seeing as how they had constantly referred to it the whole time.

Amon took the map from her and examined it more closely, looking for any hidden marking or incorrect route.

"This is exactly where we are supposed to be. Either the map is incorrect, or this river has only recently come into existence," he replied.

"Or both," Korra knelt down near the edge of the river and splashed water onto her face. "It's not impossible for that to happen, and with this world being part spirit, and part human, anything is possible."

"Deep words," he said mockingly as he observed the evergreens scattered around the foothills.

"Hey now, I was being serious." She was tempted to splash water at him, but knew better not to do so. She wasn't offended though.

There was almost a sense of calm within her. Too much calm than what was normal-if she thought so herself. Another time, in another world, she would have yelled out at the top of her lungs at her obvious misfortune. Presently, she felt no such inclination towards such brash attitudes. So what if they stumbled across another problem? At least it wasn't her fault this time, or Amon's, for that matter, but from what she had come to know of him so far, he rarely ever made mistakes.

_Think first, act later._

Korra scanned the environment, taking in the patches of bright green grass, fallen trees logs on the ground and the mossy vines hanging from a large tree at river's base. With this observation in mind, she approached Amon and studied the map with him.

While the map did not show the river, it did provide locations for the regions beyond where the river was supposed to be. Surprisingly, they were not far off from the nearest village.

"Here's the nearest village, and by the looks of it, it's not that far from here," she said, pointing to the purple emblem symbolising the village.

"That doesn't solve the issue of getting across this river. There's no other division of land to get to the other side," Amon replied.

"Getting across…" Korra pursed her lips until an idea occurred to her. "I've got it!" she pivoted on her heel and skipped across the grassy turf. "We-" she paused, and turned around. "-build a boat!"

"A boat," he repeated dully.

"I know, I know- a boat, it sounds a little ridiculous-"

"Very ridiculous."

"But just think about it. If we build a boat-well, a raft type of thing, considering what materials are currently available right now-we can get across. It's the only way," her tone faltered on the last note as she began to heave a fallen log towards the river's edge.

"This is your idea, Avatar, and if it doesn't work out, the blame rests on your shoulders." Reluctantly, Amon pushed the log with her.

They continued to gather more logs, dragging them to the river's edge, while making sure they were dry, as a wet log would not stay afloat on water. After some time, several logs were piled up, ready to be cut into even shapes.

"I'll cut through them with water, and then we'll tie the ends with that mossy vine stuff," said Korra as she bended a stream of water from the river.

With one quick slice, the first wooden log was cut straight at one edge, and then the other. The rest followed the same pattern, and within a matter of minutes, the logs were even enough to be tied together.

Amon collected the hanging vines from the large tree, and bought them over to the logs, which were lined up side-by-side.

Several loops of vines tightened around at every log on each side, and their mode of transportation was complete.

Korra stood back with her arms crossed, feeling somewhat proud with a sense of satisfaction.

"Well, let's get going," she said as she began to push the raft.

Amon knelt down to help push the heavy contraption of wood into the river.

-:-

Korra idly swirled her hand in the water below as she rested on her side, looking out across the river. Evergreen trees lined both sides of the rivers, with the mountains right behind. The air was sweet, tinged with the scent of honeysuckle and camellias. It was a pleasant smell, and only further helped her relax against the slow drifting raft. She would water bend to go faster, though there was a risk that the raft would capsize from the uneven movement. It would have worked if there was another water bender to propel the raft from one side.

She turned onto her back, shielding her face from the sunlight streaming through the clouds. They had been out on the river for some time by now, and Korra deduced it was only a little while longer until they reached the village, where they would hopefully find an inn or hotel to stay in for a couple of nights.

Her tummy grumbled, and she realised just how hungry she was at the moment. Their food supply had finished yesterday, and they had only been able to find a couple of berries for breakfast earlier in the morning.

Peering into the river, she observed the still water as the sunlight reflected against it. There was a ripple of movement, _finally, real food!_ And with a graceful arc of her hand, she water bended two fishes out of the river. Once the fishes were skewered onto twigs, she lit them on fire, and waited while they cooked, with the smoke rising in small puffs.

She noticed Amon watching her from the corner of her eye, though his back was turned away from her.

"Oh, do you want one?" she asked, holding out a fish.

He gave a shrug, and took the skewered fish, before turning around again.

She took a bite out of the succulent meat once the fish was cooked. Maybe it was the serene atmosphere of the place, or the overall natural environment free of any man-made structures, but Korra had almost come to terms with her situation. Fighting her way out was pointless and only made matters worse, the prime example been the night when she fell into the trench. She still shuddered to think about that memory, and kept it as far away as possible from her thoughts.

And Amon, well, she wasn't quite sure about him at the moment…He still made her feel uneasy, yes, but- not in the same manner as before. That constant sense of fear-and she didn't like admitting to it even now- would always be there. After all, how could she just forget who he was, and most importantly, what he was capable of? No matter what they had gone through, the existence of her identity still hung from a fine thread, ready to snap at any moment.

She looked across the vast body of ocean, the sun glinting against the shimmering water. It was only now that she noticed just how beautiful the view was, so different from what she was used to-her homeland been nothing but wide expanses of frozen tundras. But this- it felt warm and welcoming and real. If only her parents and Katara were here to see this, along with Tenzin, the air bender kids, Naga…

"It's a beautiful view out here," the words came out just above a whisper.

Amon turned to her, as though waiting for her to continue. She admitted it to herself that she liked it when he simply listened to her. No snide remarks or making fun of her- he just let her talk.

"Growing up in the South Pole where there's nothing but snow and ice, this place feels much kinder in comparison," she said with small laugh, and took another bite out of her fish.

"It's not that I don't like my homeland, In fact, I love it-but I like this place too, and that's kind of weird, considering what we've gone through so far," her voice wavered towards the end. She-they really had endured many kinds of extremes.

"If Naga was here, she would leap with joy at the sight of open fields like this," she smiled at the memory of her giant, furry best friend.

There was a slight tilt to his head at the mention of Naga.

"Naga is my best friend, and my polarbear dog," she said, twirling her hand in the water. "She would love it here. Actually, so would everyone else-my parents, Katara, Tenzin and his family…" she trailed off, throwing the twig into the river.

"They're the only people I've known in my life, apart from the White Lotus members- they were strict, and treated me differently than everyone else," Korra hugged her knees, watching the sunlight cast long shadows across the mountains.

"But, despite that…I miss everyone-a lot, and sometimes, I kind of wish they were here."

A thought occurred to her- up until now, she knew nothing about Amon beyond his status as the revolution's leader. And here she was, spilling out her life to someone she knew very little about.

"Amon."

"Yes, Avatar?"

"I know this is going to sound really out of place, and sort of random but- how old are you?"

He _was_ taken aback by the question, and it seemed this was not what he was expecting her to ask. His knuckles brushed against the chin of his mask, like he was thinking of how respond. She was getting better at reading his small expressions and gestures. That was a good thing.

"You can't be that old, I mean…" He was nimble and agile, and a stealthy fighter, but it was still hard to guess his age. "Are you twenty five? Though at the most, I put you at thirty."

"Guess again, and try forty."

 _Forty?_ But he didn't appear that old! Korra crossed her legs and leaned in closer. Now she was very curious about him, his life-the extraneous details.

"You don't look that old-not that forty is old, it's just, you seem kind of younger." She clasped her hands in front. At forty, he must be married, with a family…

"Are you married? And do you have any kids?" she asked, trying to keep her tone of voice polite and not look too eager. She probably failed in that step.

"No."

"Oh. No to the first one or…" This came as a surprise to her, but of course, Water Tribe customs were different, where couples married at an earlier age than other parts of the world. Where he was from, they obviously had different lifestyles and traditions.

"No to both."

Korra pressed her lips together, wondering if he had a life outside the Revolution. The _Revolution-_ she still couldn't believe that the man in front of her was-

_Don't think about that right now._

"Do you have any other family members?" She asked. Apart from the tragic incident which occurred in his youth-where his family was struck down in front of him, she wondered if there were other people who had been around in his life. "Is there anyone you're close to?" she trailed off, feeling a little uneasy.

"No."

Korra felt her heart sink at his answer. It had never occurred to her before, and she didn't know why it mattered to her right now but- how could there have never been someone in his life before? Not just in romantic inclinations- but other bonds, bonds of friendship, of familiarity.

"Surely…There must be at least someone you care about back home…"

"You seem to be asking far too many personal questions, _Avatar_ -any reason as to why?" There was a steely edge to his voice. "Tell me, what tricks have you got up your sleeve? Whatever they are, let this sink into you- they won't work on me," His hands were tightly clenched by his sides.

Korra's mouth opened and closed, the words unable to pass through the sudden lump in her throat. But she tried anyway, to at least say what she could.

"I didn't- I'm not playing at anything!" That was all she could manage to say.

Granted, she had done a stupid thing by going too far in the name of her curiosity, but that was no reason for him to say something like that…She had truly been sincere…But what did it matter? She should have known better right from the start. Everything she did was supposed to have ulterior motives, because that's just who she was to him, and always will be.

Korra turned away from him and shut her eyes, wiping a hand across her now damp cheek.

She felt hurt for some reason, and it was too difficult to explain why.

-:-


	16. Trusting Our Past

-:-

" _Surely…There must be at least someone you care about back home…"_

Perhaps it was the over-exhaustion of both mind and body so far, coupled with the distinct lack of proper rest, though whatever it was, he had not expected to react, according to himself, in such an extreme and outlandish manner, in a way which was contrary to how he had crafted his very image. In another world, some other universe, any setting at all, her words-those particular words, would have held little depth, no less any meaning. In fact, her inquiries up until now were seemingly harmless in essence.

Her last question, however, continued to infiltrate his mind in loop, daring to provoke the guarded barriers reserved in place of certain thoughts and memories he wished to keep buried, and almost forgotten-though the latter a more difficult task than he'd expected.

He did not want to stray there. It was a dangerous territory of water ready to drown him in its grip, give potential to undoing his strictly firm resolve. But he could hear their echoes, their whispers, calling out to him from the other side with tales from the old, neglected past.

_At least someone…_

He could never, no- that was all in the _past._ After all,it was one thing to simply acknowledge someone- _him_ , but the memories were forming themselves in front of his eyes, he could almost picture the faint, hazy formations of snow, the stark glow of the setting sun illuminating against the tanned cloth of a tent, the tendrils of smoke rising from a pot over the fire as the scent of stewed sea prunes permeated the air…

And then there were more memories, coming up one after the other.

Hidden memories of him.

Tarrlok of the Northern Water Tribe, arrives in Republic City to commence his studies in law and political science. Post-graduate Tarrlok, takes part in Aang Memorial University's formal committee to collect data for the city's demography, while simultaneously working at a part time job as one of the editors for _The Republic Reporter_. Some years past, more recollections present themselves, and _Councilman_ Tarrlok begins to instigate laws and policies in response to the growing number of triad gangs, hoping to prevent further crime and conflict within the city, hoping to erase the name of their monstrous father.

The chubby little boy he once knew as Tarrlok, used to run across the white horizons of the arctic tundra with him hand-in-hand, and they used to indulge themselves in the innocent past-times of childhood, playing chase and creating sculptures out of snow, just the two of them, with not a care in the world for anything else.

It was such a long, long time ago.

Throughout the years, he had kept tabs on his younger brother, almost each detail of his life he had come across in the public archives were recorded into his files. The files, which contained every published article, editorials and news-paper clippings of his photographs, were locked away in a cabinet away from prying eyes. Sometimes, his occasional spare time would be spent going through the files at his desk. _For reconnaissance_ , he would tell himself, but even he knew better than to believe in his own lies.

If perhaps somehow…If only, his brother would also envision his views and beliefs and steer towards the right path, if he could understand what had to be done for the betterment of this world.

But at the same time, if he looked further out beyond the river, past the mountains fringed along the banks, he could almost see him and his brother, together once again, being themselves without judgement…and their mother…How long had it been? She only ever knew him as-

 _No_.

 _It stops right here_.

He was _Amon_ , leader of a revolution, the regime for which he had sacrificed countless nights of sleep, countless years of preparation and planning, and an _entire lifetime_ to build it up from its foundations.

And that was who he will always remain to be, no matter what the circumstance.

* * *

The sky had darkened considerably by the time they finally approached the other side of the river. Just over the shore, low sloped hills were dispersed across the grassy plains void of any trees or other vegetation, and as of yet, apart from the colossal mountains surrounding the site in the far distance, there were no signs of any human-or spirit made dwellings.

As the wooden raft docked against the shoreline, they stepped off and began to make their way through the grasslands before reaching the edge of the hills.

"Give me the map," said Amon as he stretched his arms, feeling the joints crack from being immobile for a period of time.

Without a word, Korra slung the bag in front of her and retrieved the folded map, handing it over to him. The aged paper glowed slightly from the fine light of the moon, making the print easier to decipher in the dark.

"Just over these hills is a village," he traced a finger over the red trail on the map. "Once we are there, there should be an inn or motel for our stay."

He waited for her to respond, but she remained where she was, turned away from him. He continued anyway, not interested in another quarrel with her.

"It seems to be a part of a major district in these lands, which indicates there must be a local marketplace from where we could buy more supplies." Amon re-folded the map and handed it back to her, before walking a couple of paces up the hill. Warm, golden lights twinkled in the distance over the other side.

He made his way back down, and leaned against the hill. Folding his arms, he looked out across the invisible horizon over the glistening river as a slight breeze swept past his hood. The night wasn't too cold by any means, but they were fatigued from the travels so far to begin making their way to the village, not to mention it was too dark to be wandering through the valley, where their safety may be compromised. At that thought, he was reminded of the noise he had heard back in trench before it collapsed, and the other inexplicable occurrences that night, such as the Avatar not been able to firebend…

He could ponder over those events later, for now, he needed a break.

"We rest here for the night," said Amon, casting a glance towards the Avatar. But she was already curled up in a fetal position on the grass, with an arm tucked under her head, fast asleep.

Again, there was that feeling of unease, and a strange, heavy sensation in his chest. He felt lightheaded, and he dared not take another breath as he watched the light breeze brush away a strand of hair from her forehead, heard every soft exhale of air from her parted lips, felt the constant beating of her heart…

He quickly looked away, trying to steady his own racing pulse.

 _Spirits above_ , what was the matter with him?

He deduced he'd been alone for an extended period of time, and so it was a natural reaction in this given situation. He was not ignorant to the persistent sense of solitude, as it was, after all, how he had spent majority of his life. However, whatever _this_ was…and with _her_ of all people…

 _It was only another dangerous territory to avoid at all costs_.

-:-

They were awoken by the cries of sparrowkeets overhead as the meadow was submerged in the sun's warm light.

Amon surveyed the environment while waiting for the Avatar to gather her belongings, namely her bag. She got up and stretched her limbs, letting out a yawn, and for the briefest of moments, he felt the contagious urge to do the same, but knew better than to indulge in such an activity in front of her.

"We leave now," said Amon, brushing off dirt from his arms.

She gave a non-committal sound of what he assumed was agreement, before she began to follow his lead.

He turned around, about to make his way up the hills when he caught something in the corner of his eye. Curious, he stepped through the grass to examine what it was, or rather the objects, as they appeared.

Wood. Splintered planks of wood, scattered across the clearing, torn and shredded into pieces, and entangled with ropes of mossy vines.

He heard the Avatar approach the scene from behind him.

"Hey…That's the…" she trailed off, her voice faltering on the last note.

It was a bizarre notion, and yet, here in front of them were the remains of their makeshift transportation they had used to cross the river just yesterday.

The wind felt chillier as if the temperature had dropped while Amon assessed the scene, picking up the torn pieces of wood for any evidence to what might have caused it- _and why_.

Behind him, he felt the Avatar stand closer to him, perhaps to shield herself from the cold, but he could feel the change in her heart beat, could feel the slight shaking of her limbs as she crossed her arms.

This was not the same headstrong and reckless girl he had first encountered during the chi-blocker exam back in Republic City, where she was ready to face any situation with fierce determination and strike at any moment. Now, she was more subdued, almost as though she was less sure of herself…

But he didn't dwell on the matter, since their first and foremost priority right now was to reach the village and find a temporary place to stay. _And to get as far away as possible from this scene_.

Not waiting any more time than was necessary, he began to make his way up the hill, with the Avatar trailing behind.

-:-

They traveled through the expansive grasslands, only stopping momentarily to drink some water from an isolated pond, and it was not until the high sunlit clouds were drifting across the clear afternoon blue sky that they reached the place of their destination.

Thick clouds engulfed the view in front of them, and they were unable to see anything further up ahead.

Amon paused and scanned their location while asking to see the map again. There was a different current about the place; as if there was something he wasn't aware of…

As he unfurled the parchment in his hands, he checked to see if they were on the right track. It appeared that they were, and while continuing forward, he kept noting the distance left between themselves and the village on the map.

The wind picked up in speed when finally, the clouds began to clear away and the site became much more visible.

Amon stopped in his tracks at the view before him.

He had been expecting just another village such as the previous one they had visited.

Or at the most, an average town for a small population.

But definitely not an enormous creature situated on the opposite summit across the gorge. It bared resemblance to a lion, and possibly also a turtle.

And on top of the lion's back was not a little village, but a whole _city_ composed of multitudes of buildings winding around each other and reaching the upper limits of the sky.

_This whole journey just keeps getting crazier. He was possibly crazy too._

Tui, La and Yue above, he really needed a drink just about now.

-:-

"I can't believe this…It's a lion turtle city!" exclaimed the Avatar as her face lit up with excitement. She turned towards him, all smiles, as the light wind swept through her hair. "An _actual_ lion turtle city…I thought they had become extinct."

 _Not again_ \- the inexplicably strange feeling had returned inside him, except this time it felt more like a warm glow which began in his chest and then flowed throughout the rest of his body. He had never, from what he could recall, seen her react like this, not around him anyway, and it was, oddly enough, almost nice, as a way to put it, kind of pleasant even-

_Stop this._

_And ignore her._

But she was still smiling _that_ smile and spirits, _dear_ spirits why was it affecting him so? Had he already forgotten who exactly she was, and moreover, who _he_ was?

_Just ignore her and don't think about it._

It was easier said than done, because if her yawning had felt contagious before, this-action, reaction, impulsive emotion, carefree expression, was becoming harder to ignore and just-

If she could just _stop_ and if he were not so easily carried away with menial displays of normal, human behaviour but-

_This is not menial behaviour._

_And she's not an uninteresting person at all-_

Amon finally forced himself to look away, and he focused his entire attention towards the symbol on the lion turtle's forehead. _Don't think about it._

He observed the distance between themselves and the opposite summit, and then a thought occurred to him.

"How exactly are we supposed to get across?" he said, gesturing towards the giant creature.

"I don't know about you but, there's like a bridge connecting this land to the lion turtle," replied the Avatar, peering down into the gorge.

He looked down and sure enough, there was a long, narrow, wooden bridge adjoining the two summits. How could he have not noticed it before?

"Well then, let's keep moving forward," he said as he began to carefully walk the trail which led down to the bridge.

-:-

The bridge was even narrower up close, and was composed of thin planks of wood tied together with bundles of rope. It appeared as if it would snap at the slightest pressure of weight.

It was a dangerous bridge, but they would just have to be more careful than usual if they wanted to safely get across and not plunge into the deep gorge below.

Amon stepped forward onto the wooden plank, feeling it creak under him. He grabbed the ropes on both sides and took a couple of more steps forward. If they continued to move at a slow pace like this, they would have no problem getting to the other side. He placed another foot on the plank, until he noticed there was no other movement behind him.

"Avatar, what's holding you up?" he asked, turning around.

She stood still at the other end, holding her arms together.

"I think you can guess what's up," she said, looking away. "This bridge doesn't exactly look the most safe, you know."

 _Oh_ , he understood now. Though it was interesting that she would consider the risks and implications firsts, when she usually did not hesitate to leap into action. She was changing, or rather certain aspects of her were shifting-

 _It didn't matter to him_.

"Slowly get across in the same manner I am, and you won't make the bridge fall apart," he said, about to turn around again.

"Nope, it's definitely going to fall apart-look at how unstable it is," she replied while she remained unmoving.

It seemed like he had to do something about this, else they would never get any further.

"I'm aware it's not safe, but if you take cautious steps you will not have any problems, Avatar."

Tentatively, she placed a foot onto the first plank of wood, and then another in front while her hands tightly clutched onto the ropes at the sides. She continued to move forward at a steady pace until the bridge made an ominous creak. She stopped in her tracks.

"I can't," her voice came out low.

The words sounded all too familiar.

" _I can't…" said Tarrlok as he stood on the thin block of ice, afraid he would slip into the cold, harsh ocean below._

" _Yes, you can," he replied from his spot on the other block of ice. They had been playing a silly game of tag and had somehow ended up on the ocean's ice sheets. He stretched out a hand towards his younger brother. "Here, take my hand."_

_Tarrlok placed his hand in his own and held onto it tightly. He moved them both away from the ocean when finally, they both collapsed onto solid, snowy ground and laughed until theirs sides hurt._

Amon had not realised when he had moved up right in front of her. The words left his mouth before he could processes what he had just said; he acted first before he thought.

"Take my hand."

She looked up at him, her weary face mixed with an expression of shock and surprise, and maybe, just maybe, relief.

"Trust me."

Reaching out, she placed her smaller hand into his and his fingers closed over hers.

And then, he wasn't impervious to the sudden jolt of electricity he felt up his arm. He tried in his earnest to ignore it, and he tried to think nothing of it, and he tried, truly gave in his best efforts to not notice the feel of her skin against his. But he was spinning out of control as they moved along the bridge, _hand-in-hand,_ and his resolve felt like it was dissolving, _bit-by-bit_ , and like the unstable planks of wood beneath, he was vulnerable, so very vulnerable as he felt himself drowning into the waters he had vowed to keep away from.

_Spirits could only help him now._

-:-


	17. The Fire Lion Turtle City

His fingers tightened around the vine ropes as he continued to move forward, his eyes not daring to stray from the path in front and glance down below into the gorge. His steps were even and slow, and without having to check behind him, he could feel the Avatar's slightly uneven gait as she followed, keeping in line, supporting one hand on the rope, the other in his own-

Taking a deep breath, Amon willed himself to stay calm; and concentrated instead on the scent of wet rock and faint traces of blossoms filtering throughout the atmosphere. They were almost halfway there, only a short distance left until they reached their point of destination, in this case, the back of a lion turtle. He was still having trouble digesting this fact.

His gaze travelled up towards the rows upon rows of closely built stone towers and huts and their sloping roofs, and across the twisted trunks of trees and shrubbery entwined around every man-made (or spirit made?) building in sight.

As they reached closer to the edge of the lion turtle's back, sounds became more distinct and audible, and the scent of food being cooked permeated the air. It was a pleasant smell, and it only urged him to keep moving forward.

It was strange however, in a sort of way, to be reduced to such a state in which he required nothing but sustenance-for the time being, at least. But he had been like this for several days now, his mind prioritising survival over all else, and for once not occupied with strategies to amend the movement of electric currents in Hiroshi Sato's new model of technology, sign the latest papers sent by the publication press, or oversee the new recruits in the training basement…

It was best to keep those thoughts away as far as possible. To not ponder over what the current circumstances were like back in Republic City was better. No doubt, this was a bizarre situation he was caught up in, beyond his comprehension, beyond his knowledge.

And it held no meaning, no matter what.

"You can let go, I handle this myself now."

Amon stilled at the unwelcoming voice, but promptly let go of her hand. He waited, sensing whether she was about to move.

"Thanks, anyway," she said.

One foot caught on the next plank as her words coursed through his mind. Should he reply? Was he supposed to say something? And if he should, then how exactly? Granted, this was, once again, something else he had not prepared himself for, however it was not difficult to reply with formalities either. But he couldn't and-he would not allow that sense of cordialness between himself and her-the Avatar.

The Avatar, he reminded himself again.

The Avatar.

-:-

Crossing over the last plank and stepping onto the damp earth beneath, Amon halted in his steps to observe the location. They were here.

In front of them lay a dense forest; thick green foliage reaching in every direction and bathing in the afternoon sunlight's warmth. Twisted roots ran the course around the bottom of the tree trunks, while luscious plum-like fruits hung down on vines, similar in appearance to the bridge's ropes.

Behind them, the rickety wooden bridge descended off into the other side, with soft, white clouds overhanging on its path. As the wind picked up in speed, they turned away from the edge of the cliff top and began to turn inwards towards the dark forest. A narrow path was carved out in the ground, disappearing into the forest. Without wasting a moment's hesitation, they made their way along the trail.

-:-

Amon took a sip from the water cupped in his hands. After coming across the small pond, and making sure the water was safe enough to be considered drinkable, they sat near the path's edge to replenish their energies.

They had been walking through the forest for what had seemed like half an hour, judging by the sharp shadows been thrown across the tall pine trees they had passed on the way. But it wasn't long, he deduced, until they reached this city-or rather, this lion turtle city.

Re-adjusting the mask on his face, he rose and continued on the trail. He felt the Avatar's movements behind him, her pace quick and solid, rather much like the way she responded on her instincts.

It was easier, this way, to keep her at distance for the time being. From here on, he wanted to keep every interaction at a minimum. Be aware of her, yes, but that was how far it would go. The incidence on the bridge was another matter entirely-born out of desperation and without another choice. It was needed, necessary, even, at the time.

And it most certainly did not mean anything.

By the time they were approaching the edge of the forest, the sloping rooves of the city's buildings became visible once again, the rustic coloured parapets overlapping against one another in the backdrop of the dwindling skyline.

They entered through the first street in sight, and did not pause in their steps to take in their new environment, or rather that, Amon did not want any more extraneous events to add further delays in their-his plans. Follow the instructions, refer only to the map to stay on the correct path, and do not let the actions, or even the incentives of a certain person, obstruct his clear way of thinking.

The population grew in size the further in they traveled through the city streets. Young and old, people of all ages were gathered around near the entrance of small shops selling sweet-smelling coffees and teas, windowless book stores, and other assorted shops of recreation. Above them, laundry hung across the balconies, the sun's burnt, amber rays bleeding through the translucent fabrics as droplets of water hit the cobbled pavement below. Tendrils of smoke rose from the chimneys of restaurants, wavering out into the late afternoon sky.

It was getting late, and they still needed some food and a place to stay. He did not know how much longer he could hold out with the growing pangs of hunger in his stomach. Vaguely, he wondered if the Avatar was just as affected, if not more by this.

More and more people mingled out into the streets, all dressed in odd mixtures of clothing, with deeply coloured, flowing fabrics of mostly red and orange, though also some green and blue. The streets were filled with the cries of peddlers selling their daily goods to passers-by, and merchants showing off their goods.

The closely built buildings grew taller in length along the way as they passed an owlcat picking at the food of a sparrowkeet, and a hogmonkey banging a cooking pan along the shop's windowpane, its human owner yelling at the animal to stop. Amon felt the beginnings of a headache from the noises and crowds. This was not what he had signed in for.

No spirits in sight so far, he observed, but it was also then he noticed that the growing crowds were watching them very closely, peering over their shoulders from where they sat on wooden stools near the food stalls, and milling about near inns selling liquor. Their gaze was not welcoming at all, in fact, it was almost hostile-a far cry from the humans and spirits back at Kuruk's village. Behind him, he felt the Avatar shift uncomfortably.

On cue, Amon sped up in his pace as he looked around for an alley or nook near one of the buildings to get out of sight. Taking quick action was a must in this situation, and so he did not stop in their track but instead moved forward. The sounds of their footsteps against the dirtied, cobbled path were drowned out by the crowd as he finally spotted a turn around the next candle shop.

Turning in, he pulled the Avatar into the enclosed space. It was small, and there was very little light, but they were not in sight anymore-for now, at least.

"Why were they staring at us?" she hissed, dropping the bag down near their feet.

"I don't know," Amon replied, taking a quick glance out into the street. "Perhaps this may have something to do with your title, don't you think, Avatar?"

Although, when he thought about it, it was unlikely that these people were unaware of her identity. And sure, going through each day without eating proper food, restless sleeps at night, and an overall state of improper care and hygiene was taking a toll on her. However, it was affecting him just as much, and at the moment, he was in no mood to quell his temper.

"You-" the Avatar begun as she raised her fists.

He bought a hand to her mouth, cutting her words off as he leaned in.

"We don't want any trouble right now, so I suggest you keep your voice down and listen to my next course of action," he said, removing his fingers from her mouth, but keeping her face still.

"Firstly, get your disgusting hand away from my face, you should wash them more often, you know," she rebutted, glaring up at him.

Amon took a deep breath, teetering on both edges of exhaustion and irritation, until finally; he exhaled a breath and removed his hand while leaning back against the grimy wall, not at all relishing the way his clothes were being covered in more muck and dirt.

"Our first priority is to find a place to stay, get some food and…" he gestured towards her clothing, "And have a change of garments," he finished.

Something clicked in his mind as he examined the dirt covered and matted fur of her pelt. Of course, one of the most obvious reasons to the stares they had received was due to their foreign attire. Walking around in clothes not suited to this warm environment was bound to attract the attentions of the onlookers. How could he have forgotten? Blending in with the crowd was a good way to keep the attention at a minimum level.

"The clothes we wear, Avatar, seem to be the reason why they were gawking at us," he said, shielding the side of his face from the rays of the setting sun, which briefly illuminated the dark space they were in.

"Well of course that makes sense; your mask sure seems to love getting all this attention," she replied as she stood up straight, crossing her arms over.

He felt a nerve twitch near his forehead, willing himself to stay calm. Her words were partially true however, and that did not help to keep his rising temper at bay. He waited for her next slew of words which would no doubt take away the small ounce of patience left inside him.

But instead she watched him, tilting her head to the side as she regarded him in the shadowed space. This lasted for a few moments, before she spoke again.

"It's okay, you know," she said, in a voice so soft, of which he never knew she was capable of. He let out a breath he had not realised he was holding in until then, unsure of what her words meant. What was she trying to imply?-

"The mask. You can take it off…I mean, no one knows you-us over here so…" she continued, looking away before reaching for the bag, as though she was trying to distract herself, or maybe to keep her mind busy with something else, anything else but this-

"And besides, I don't…I don't think anyone would say anything about you-your scars," she fiddled with the buttons on the bag, lifting up the flap, all the while still not looking at him.

The air felt too thick with the heavy scent of melted candle wax, and he really wanted, in that instance, to remove himself from the now suffocating enclosure.

Her unexpected words had momentarily caught him off guard, and well, it was definitely something he would not allow to happen next time. He had to…stop, in a way, from continuously second guessing her.

"But anyway, I get what you mean about the whole 'drawing attention to ourselves because of what we wear'," said Korra as he caught the sight of deep blue fabric slipping out of the bag between her fingers. "When you said that, I suddenly remembered there was something Aki-that spirit human girl-packed into my bag back at Kuruk's village…"

Korra straightened and held an ankle length dress to herself, the silver threads glimmering in the dim light.

"I have no idea how I even forgot about it, but it was out of sight the whole time, wedged right into the corner of the bag," she continued, patting the fabric down.

Despite being crumpled into a small space, and enduring who knows what on their journey so far, there was not a single crease in sight on the elegant dress.

The dress, reminiscent of those ancient days, of his mother, wearing one so similar when they attended the Northern Water Tribe chief's coronation…

"It's not practical, but it will work here and-"

He met her gaze, not realising what her previous words had been.

"-Why are you so quiet?" she continued, draping the dress over her arm.

Truth be told, he did not know either, though he surmised it was definitely related to his most recent train of thought, which had diverged his attention from the matter at hand, made him appear foolish, all because of some stupid piece of cloth which just happened to stir up those memories-

That darn dress.

"Nothing," Amon replied, moving out of the way and stepping out into the street, his back towards her. "Hurry up and change, we need to find a place to stay before nightfall."

There were not many people in sight on this street, however as the sun's final rays were quickly sinking back into the horizons, he noticed a new sound coming from the streets to their left, up further ahead. Laughter, talk-loud and undignified- echoed throughout the chilly atmosphere as warm, golden light pooled out into the streets from the location of the noise.

"I'm done," he heard the Avatar reply behind him, before turning around. "This will help me blend in with the rest-at least, I hope so," she continued, folding the sleeves of the dress up to her elbows.

He did not want to admit anything about the Avatar to himself. Again, there was simply no need to appraise, and evaluate how the frivolous piece of fabric fit her in a most appropriate manner, especially, as he casually glanced down, around her chest-

Stop.

Looking away, he directed his gaze towards the stone towers in front of him, their amber lights spilling down from the balconies, as ashtrays gently swung from the sides. At the front doors of the buildings, there were signs hanging down, etched with various pictograms, including a fish, a pair of scissors, and a calligraphy brush.

"We need to move on," said Amon, noticing that the sky was rapidly turning darker by the moment as the stars became more visible.

Without another word, they walked forward through the street, past the numerous shops of books, barbers and tailors. Their wood paneled doors were shut, indicating they were not open to any business at the moment. He thought it was rather unusual, considering that the stores should have been open during day break at least, but it did not appear that way at all.

They continued along the increasingly narrow but more populated street, with the scent of fried fish and steamed noodles filling the air. Shelter and food, were both important to their survival at the moment. Passers-by pushed them aside, though they did not appear to be carrying any bags to indicate they had recently shopped.

"You need new clothes too, you know," he heard the Avatar half-shout through the crowd. "There are plenty of shops here to get you something, although, I don't know if you've noticed, but they were closed. I mean like-not just the clothing shops, but all the other ones as well."

He definitely noticed alright.

Amon felt his arm being tugged to the side, until he was right at the edge of the path.

"And while no one seems to be looking at me anymore, they sure are having a sweet time not removing their eyes from you," she sniped, digging her fingers into his arm. "But first-" the Avatar let go of his arm, "-I'm hungry-and I'm pretty sure you are as well-even if you try not to show it, so let's get something to eat first."

Her hand returned on his arm, and before he could respond or protest, she was pushing him beside her through the crowd. He almost tripped a couple of times from the imbalance of their steps, until she stopped in front of a peddler selling a variety of foods.

"Two bowls of those soupy noodles please," said the Avatar, pointing towards a large, steaming pot, "A bag of that spicy fried fish, and fireflakes," she continued, waving her hands at the various dishes, "Oh, and some dumplings too, please."

"That would be twenty silver pieces, Miss," replied the peddler, a short, bearded old man, dressed in bright hues of green and red like much of the population.

Well, they didn't have any money on them, but moreover, it had not occurred to him that currency was exchanged here. Just another facet of their journey he had not paid much attention to, perhaps due to how far apart and different everything seemed to the human world. Though it appeared there were more things they shared in common than there were differences.

The Avatar held her hands together, though before she could speak, Amon leaned forward instead.

"We are travelers," he said, gesturing towards himself and the Avatar, "New to this land and therefore not aware of the laws and customs." He clasped his hands behind his back, standing straight as the old man scrutinized them. "We do not have the proper money to pay for all this, but as you can see, we have gone many days without proper food and are in urgent need to replenish ourselves."

The peddler placed a finger on his chin, as though deep in thought, before he spoke.

"I'm inclined to believe you, boy," he said, "And if it's not just evident in your strange way of dressing, it does show in your mannerisms and odd accent, and so, I'll pardon you this time," he continued, holding a ladle and filling up a bowl with noodles. "But not everyone here will be as generous," he gave a small laugh, "The fire lion turtle city is known for its frequency of travelers and merchants, and you will find new people here every day from all spheres of life," he set a lid on the bowls, placing them on a tray. "It's also evident, however, that you two are not just any regular travelers. You're not from this world at all." He looked up at them then, placing his hands on the cart's edge, once again appearing as though he were examining them, and moreover, knew much more about them than he let on.

Amon did not flinch under his gaze; though he could sense the Avatar's heart beat accelerate.

"Enough talk for now though! Take a seat over there and I'll bring your meal over," the old peddler finally replied, before ushering them behind his stall, where a couple of small, wooden tables and stools were lined up. There was barely any traffic in this closed-off area.

An overgrown tree was nestled in the corner between two buildings, and from it hung a single, yellow lamp on a chain, as firemoth-flies hummed around in the glowing atmosphere.

Amon took a seat at one of the stools, pulling it forward as the metal scratched against the cobblestone floor, while the Avatar resided opposite him at the table.

This would all be a quick affair. Once they finish their meals, they would then set off to find a place to stay in for the next couple of days. Their lack of money had become an issue, though there had to be other ways to work around the problem. Regardless of his strange demeanor, he would have to discuss this matter with the peddler.

Amon surveyed the site, noticing how the buildings nearby were enshrouded in shadows, and how the leaves in the tree overhead whispered with one another through the wind. His eyes, lastly, fell onto the Avatar in front of him. He had of course, purposely not paid much attention to her during this time.

There was no need to.

She looked up at him then, though promptly shifted her gaze as she fidgeted with her hands in her lap. He continued to watch her, however, and studied the way she was haloed in golden light from the lamp above, how her face was turned to the side, the warm light caught on her cheekbone.

Amon was broken out of his reverie at the sound of the peddler arriving at their table.

"Two servings of everything, with some serving of lychee juice on side!" he announced, placing food off the tray. "Need anything else, let me know," he continued, wiping a hand on his apron.

He had to ask him now, Amon decided. Not just about their accommodation, but also in regards to other valuable and important information which would benefit them on their stay here in the city, and perhaps also, on their journey.

"You're aware of our circumstances so far, and also understand that we, as foreigners who have traveled far distances, need proper rest so that we can continue on our way," he said, before lifting up the bottom of his mask a couple of inches, and leading a pair of chopsticks to his mouth. He was grateful that the old man had not questioned him and the mask.

"Hmm, that I'm fully aware of," said the peddler, holding the empty tray by his side, "Need a place to stay?"

"Yes."

"I can make arrangements for that, along with your daily meals-for now, that is..." he said, as he wiped an arm over his tray, "But if you two are going to be spending some time here-and at other places during your journey-then it is best you find some way to earn money, such as through a job, for instance…"

Amon pondered over what he said. It would make sense that much he knew, and although it would impede their journey, they could not afford more days to survive on scraps of food from the wild, or rest on uncomfortable grounds-there was a limit on how much he-they, could endure. Besides, he was certain they could pick up odd jobs throughout their journey, as so far there was no reason to restrict themselves to one place in order to earn money.

"We will figure out ways to do that too, if you'll be generous to provide us with the correct information regarding it," said Amon, taking a sip from his cup of lychee juice.

"Here, take this coin-," said the peddler, reaching into a pocket and retrieving a small, metal coin, "Show it to the owner of whatever establishment you want to stay at, and they'll understand. Keep it with you at all times," he continued, "I'll provide some more information once you're done," he concluded, before leaving their table.

At that moment, Amon decided to spare a glance across the table towards the Avatar, and he inwardly recoiled in the way she was so engrossed in her food, already helping herself to second servings of the fish, scoffing the food into her mouth as though there was no one around. But whether it was out of boredom, or some weird fixation, he could not look away.

-:-

She caught him then, and her eyes widened as she became aware of herself, and the way her cheeks were no doubt bulging like a squirrelrabbit's. Quickly, she gulped her food down.

"Sorry," Korra mumbled, looking away and trying to focus on something else. The wind swept past the tree overhead, unsettling a few stray leaves as they began to drift downwards, catching onto the damp, cobbled ground. While scanning the foreground, she caught a movement in the corner of her eye-a shadow of some sort, though by the time she turned around, there was nothing.

Finishing up her meal, she brushed off the crumbs from her lap as the peddler returned to collect their empty bowls and plates, and leaving two cups of herbal tea on the table.

Before he left, he discussed some more about their arrangements for the course of their stay here, along with information regarding the city's current state-something about it not been safe past sunset, and staying indoors before sunrise-but she was far too tired to catch onto anything else he said. She will just ask Amon later on-or tomorrow. There was a lot on her mind, but right now, her eyes were feeling heavy, and it was like she was drifting away, far away into the dark cosmos above, leaving everything behind…

"Avatar," repeated Amon for the third time, pulling her out of the half-dream, half-awakened state she was in. "We need to leave."

Stifling a yawn behind her wrist, Korra heaved their bag over her shoulder.

They began to make their way out of the street. Begrudgingly, she followed his lead as he knew where the inn they would be staying at was located. If only she wasn't feeling so tired at the moment, she would have been able to properly listen to the old man when he was giving the instructions.

"There's a train station situated on the other side of the city, and once we earn enough money for our tickets, we depart this city on the earliest train," said Amon as they went up a set of crumbling stairs up the alley. Not as many people were around, though the area appeared to be mostly residential, indicating the presence of families living in the two-story houses built side-by-side.

"Oh, okay," Korra replied dully, not in the mood to talk at the moment.

"Listen carefully, Avatar. There's no reason to give me this attitude despite our inexplicable circumstances," he said with an edge of contempt in his voice.

So, he was choosing this moment in taking every opportunity to further mock and ridicule her- the way he sneered the word 'Avatar'- it was riling her up. This wasn't fair at all, and she was just too tired of everything.

"It's Korra, by the way," she snapped back, her words echoing off the stone towers surrounding them.

He gave no response as he made a turn into the next street, while she followed suit. He was refusing to answer her at all, and so she stopped in her tracks. She could not leave this matter alone; it was time he properly acknowledged her.

"My name is Korra!"

He halted in his steps then, and turned around. This street was livelier than the previous one, with men and women going past in both directions, though not paying her-and him, any attention.

Not intending to bend any of the elements at Amon, Korra ran up towards him, preparing instead to give him a talk, make him listen to her for once instead of continuously brushing her aside as though she were some insignificant mothfly-

There was loud crash, from the direction of the old book stores up ahead. Before she had any time to register the noise, there was another crash from the opposite direction of the shops.

Frozen in her spot, there was never any time to process the scene unfolding before her as a fire erupted in the distance, alighting in the middle of the street. People were running away from the site, rushing past one another, screaming, yelling, and some crying for help.

That was her purpose after all, to help those in need, to face any sort of adversity and restore the true balance. She knew that much, despite so much else there was left to learn.

Her previous state of fatigue and tiredness dissolved within a blink of an eye, and without a moment's hesitation, she ran forward, hands poised, ready to attack whoever-or whatever it was causing this destruction.

She registered someone by her side as she approached the fire-which strangely enough, was not growing larger in size, but instead remained the same size from where she was. More people were rushing past her-and Amon she realised, who was taking the same route as her. Finally, they came at a stop to assess the site.

Although the night was dark, there was enough light being provided by a lone street lamp to show the extent of the building's damages. A couple of window panes had broken off, with glass shattered around the rubble on the ground. While the sloping rooves had remained intact, the doors to the front entrances had been caved in, surrounded by fragments of stones, and books torn in half.

But despite the wreckage, and her quick exploration of the site, there was no one around to suggest who had caused this.

Nothing, not even a small hint.

There was a strange pit in her stomach…the same feeling she had when she came across the remains of their makeshift raft. Something wasn't right.

"Who did this?" Korra whispered, more to herself, holding her arms as Amon surveyed the site, before turning to the center of the street-where the fire had mysteriously gone out without warning.

It was then that she heard a cry-small, distorted, and barely audible-but a cry nonetheless, coming from one of the dilapidated buildings.

She listened carefully, following the path of the sound. Before she could deduce the source of the cry, Amon had already reached around the other side of the building, where she saw him kneeling down.

Korra held a flame in her hand as she approached him, and without a word, knelt down beside him. The crying was more insistent now, and she realised there was someone-something, just beneath the rubble of books.

Despite herself, she shivered, and without thinking, her hand caught onto Amon's down beside her. She felt him tense beneath her, and she quickly removed her hand. "Sorry," she said to him for the second time that night. He gave no reply.

Ignoring the dread she felt, and gathering all her courage, she carefully began to remove the piles of books with one hand, keeping a flame alight in the other. He pitched in too, removing every book obstructing the way of whatever it was.

The last book was removed, and Korra gasped at the sight beneath her.

Swaddled in a thin, torn blanket was a child, a boy no older than two years of age, with a mop of matted, dark hair. But the unsettling detail was the blood; his face was covered in it, and it ran down his torso, with his arms and legs covered in gashes-how deep, she didn't know.

The child let out another cry, weaker than before as his eyes fluttered open, just barely.

Korra did not know whether to be saddened or horrified, or both. Who did the child belong to? There was no one around. But she wanted then, to reach out and hold the poor child, heal his wounds and clean him up, if he were to live, that was-

She took another deep breath, trying to calm her nerves, until she heard Amon speak. She had forgotten he was there.

"He'll live," he said simply.

How he was sure, she didn't know, but she looked up him, holding onto his words. It was so difficult to read his expression through the mask at times, as it always was.

A stray tear escaped the corner of her eye as she watched the helpless boy. She didn't know why the child was affecting her like this, and even more, she could not trust herself to hold him.

She was surprised, however, when Amon reached out and held the child, in a manner so gentle, placing his head in the crook of his arm, and securing his other arm around.

"He will be okay," he said, before rising.

What part of her was holding onto his words was a mystery, but she rose too, and walked alongside him, close to him, as they made their way out of the ruins, going past the books scattered on the ground, past the mounds of rubble.

It was a short while before they entered into a more open street, and a cool mist was engulfing them by the time they arrived at the site of their accommodation.


End file.
